The Kill
by Jacob M. Bosch
Summary: Krillin kills one of the Z-Fighters' greatest enemies.
1. The Kill: Meant To Be

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dragonball-Z, not really sure who does either. It'd be a shame if people I don't know sued me. J v

THE KILL

By Jacob M. Bosch

CHAPTER 1: Meant to be

The Prince of all Saiyans was scrutinizing the Namek boy trying to figure out how the brat had been able to heal the half breed and the Earthling, when he suddenly felt Freezer's ki disappear.

"Huh? W-where did he go?" Vegita turned away from the two brats and stared the direction where the bald human led "Lord" Freezer in an effort to save Kakarotto's brat.

_Could Freezer have learned how to suppress his ki?_ Vegita wondered, his fear of the ruthless tyrant increasing a thousand fold. Vegita leaped into the air and extended his senses, hunting for the slightest hint of Freezer's power in the distance. But there was nothing, nothing except chrome-dome's measly ki.

"What's going on?"

Vegita strained his new senses even farther and still felt nothing from Freezer. _Even if he's left Namek's atmosphere, I know I'd still feel him if he were in space! I'm certain of…_

Then Vegita started as an impossible thought sprang forth.

"No… No! I am a fool for even entertaining such nonsense!" Vegita hissed to himself and kept searching for Freezer's ki.

"Thanks Dende," Gohan told Dende after the younger boy healed him.

Dende gave a small half bow, "You are welcome--" Dende stopped when he felt Freezer's ki instantly vanish from his perception. Gohan also felt its disappearance. Both boys faced one another in confusion.

"Did you feel Freezer's fade away, too?" Gohan asked.

"Yes. Does that mean he-he's dead?"

Gohan put his hand on the younger boy's shoulder, "I don't know."

Gohan doubted it; he couldn't imagine anything killing Freezer. Then he remembered that Mr. Piccolo was on Namek. _Could he have beaten Freezer? But where is his ki?_ Gohan looked up at the hovering form of Vegita; maybe he could sense what was going on. Despite Dende's healing, Gohan wasn't quite able to control his own powers totally.

"Wait here Dende," Gohan told the Namek boy. He didn't want to expose the boy to Vegita any more then was necessary, remembering Dende's earlier encounter with the Saiyan. Gohan lifted up into the sky and flew over to the Saiyan Prince.

Vegita ignored Gohan when the boy levitated up beside him. The Prince's teeth were clenched and sweat drenched his wide, prominent forehead as he extended his senses beyond their limits.

"Vegita?"

"Shut up." _Was that something? Yes_. Vegita suddenly felt an enormous ki fast approaching their location. But it wasn't big enough to belong to Freezer and obviously didn't belong to the bald Earthling. _Then who could it be?_

"Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan cried out, immediately recognizing the new ki.

"Of course, the Namek from Earth."

"He must have killed Freezer!"

Vegita grunted noncommittally. He refused to believe that a Namek could succeed where a Saiyan failed. But what other explanation was there? Freezer's ki was gone and the Namek's signature was the only big ki reading out there.

_If the Namek **has** killed Freezer then that means I'm free! I can finally take my rightful place as the ruler of this universe. All I'll need is time and I shall surpass the Namek and Kakarotto, then there will be no one who can oppose me. _

_My chest still hurts_. Krillin thought, but knew it was just his imagination. Dende had healed him fully. There wasn't even a scar to mar where Freezer had impaled him. Only the hole in the Saiyan-Jin armor Vegeta had given him earlier told the tale.

__

Stop being stupid, Krillin! You've got bigger problems then ghost pains.

Krillin risked a glance backward as he sped through the aqua green sky of Namek. There he was. Freezer. And he was gaining on Krillin effortlessly. The overlord wasn't even using a power aura boost. Krillin gritted his teeth to stifle the scream filling his throat like barely suppressed vomit, and faced forward again. Putting a little more effort into his Bu Kuu Jutsu. He had to buy Dende more time so that the young Namek could heal Gohan's injuries. That meant keeping Freezer's lethal attentions on himself.

"I can't keep up this pace though," Krillin said through his teeth. "Besides, I know he's just playing with me, he could overtake me anytime, and he will when he gets tired of this game."

Krillin spotted a large stone formation a hundred meters ahead, roughly the size and shape of the North Capital sports coliseum. It was split into several triangular sections, like a carelessly cut cake, and its crevices appeared very deep. Krillin quickly altered course and sped towards the segmented rock.

_I hope Freezer's still in the mood to toy with me._

Krillin flew in a downward arch into the formation.

__

That little **Fuck** is going to pay for cutting off my tail! I'm going to slowly eviscerate him and watch his guts spill onto the ground! And I'll make his friends look on as I do, oh yes!

Freezer routinely thought these kinds of thoughts when it came to the lesser beings, but he never before felt them as strongly as when he chased after the Earthling in front of him. Of course no one had ever damaged him like the Earthling had. The Saiyan boy surprised him with a few well-placed blows, but ultimately they were nothing Freezer could not absorb. But the bald Earthling actually managed to slice off a piece of his anatomy! And the human wasn't nearly as powerful as that obtuse Saiyan, Vegita, or that oddly advanced boy. Unacceptable!

_The human must die before all the others, and quite painfully. But first I will let his terror grow until there is nothing left within him but hopelessness. The Earthling will learn, as countless billions before him learned, no one dare opposes Freezer, much less damage and humiliate him!_

Freezer chuckled when he saw the human suddenly swerve and fly toward a small range of fractured rocks. _Certainly the little shit doesn't think he can lose me in there?_

The Earthling entered the formation. His aura trailing after him then faded away. Freezer halted in mid air several hundred feet above the rocks and crossed his arms over his chest. 

Then he vanished.

Krillin didn't know what to expect. It all depended on Freezer's mood. Krillin was well aware of the fact that the iron-fisted, so-called ruler of the universe could easily atomize the formation and Krillin with it. But Krillin also knew the maniac wanted to make him quake with fear.

When death didn't come from above, Krillin had his answer: the game was still on. Krillin chose one of the paths in the formation and flew full tilt, hoping he was deep enough into the natural structure that Freezer couldn't see which way he was going. If he was lucky—luckier—he might come out on the side where Freezer wasn't.

For a brief moment, joy filled Krillin as he approached the light of open air and Freezer was no where in sight. Krillin's optimism evaporated when only inches away from freedom, a black, white and pink form materialized in front of him. Krillin halted in mid air, his eyes wide with absolute horror as Freezer hovered before him. The despot's massively muscled had his arms crossed over his chest, the severed remainder of his tail whipping lazily from side to side. As Freezer appraised Krillin he wore a knowing, twisted smirk.

"Wow, you're really fast for a corpse," Freezer said.

Krillin flew-walked backward in mid air to get away from the monster before him. He turned about, allowed his ki aura to flare and flew in the opposite direction. Not caring if Freezer saw him retreat into the dark. But no matter what path he took, Freezer was always there, waiting for him. Again and again, no matter how fast Krillin flew from one side of the formation to the other.

"Kami, he's too fast!" Krillin gasped after finally giving up any hope of escape, floating breathlessly in the center of the rocks.

__

Dende's gotta' be finished healing Gohan by now, or Kami, I hope so! Because I get the feeling Freezer's not going to let me run for much longer. I have to get back to the others, or I'm so much dead meat!

"Oh, you've finally stopped scurrying, have you?" Krillin heard Freezer call out from above.

Krillin looked up at the all-powerful Freezer and knew it was over. Freezer was through playing. The diminutive monk took a deep breath and slowly rose higher into the sky and out of the formation until he was level with Freezer, no more then fifty feet away from the Changeling.

"You should be quite proud of yourself Earthling. It is not everyday filth such as yourself suffers death at my hands, face to face." Freezer declared, his deep baritone voice sounded almost wistful. "I cannot even remember the last time I felt the desire to do so."

Krillin was too scared to tremble at the monster's words of promised destruction. What was the point? The fear reaction was just nature's way of telling you to flee or fight, to survive somehow. But Krillin didn't have any of those choices. Dead things don't have choices.

Again there was an ache in his chest. The memory of Freezer's horn penetrating him seemed vivid and alive in the realm of his own imagination. Krillin brought his right hand up to the imaginary wound, his gloved fingers touching the exposed skin through the hole in his armor. 

How did Freezer miss his heart?

"Time to die, insect!" Freezer shouted and flew at Krillin.

In that instant several thoughts went through Krillin's mind: Freezer had deliberately avoided his heart. At the time and for some time afterwards, Krillin had believed himself fortunate that Freezer failed to hit his more vital organs with his horns. But that hadn't been the case Krillin now realized. Freezer's sole reason for missing had been to torture Krillin. To see his blood gush as that bull-like horn bucked and raped the wound it'd made in Krillin's chest…

_That… **animal!**_

"**Taiyoken**!" Krillin yelled out at the top of his voice after bringing his fingertips up to either side of his forehead. His cry followed by a blinding explosion of ki emanating from his eyes, and caught the charging Freezer in its glare.

Fury creased Krillin's usually easy-going face as he flew over to Freezer. His fists straining the fabric of his morphic gloves because they were clutched so tightly. Krillin wasn't afraid anymore. How could anyone be afraid of this… **thing**… this beast that was beneath even contempt?

Krillin raised his left hand over his head. Splitting his concentration between seeing through the waning Taiyoken flare and the ki he was gathering in his left arm.

"Kienzan." He whispered. Then a spinning disc of energy formed two inches above his palm. At the same time his first attack was losing its effect on Freezer. And the tyrant was slowly regaining his sight… but it was too late. 

Krillin threw the Kienzan at Freezer's neck and cleanly decapitated the Changeling.

"Urk!" Freezer's head gagged as the rest of his body fell to the ground below. A thin trickle of purplish-red blood spurting from the ruins of his segmented neck. 

"But how?" Were Freezer's last words before his eyes rolled back and his head, which somehow had remained aloft, finally followed the downward spiral his body had taken. Krillin looked on with a grim expression. Somewhere in the back round of his awareness, he felt his Kienzan dissolve into nothingness.

He was a killer now. Like Freezer. Like Vegita, or even Piccolo. He'd never killed anyone before, not even in self-defense. 

_What's worse_, _I think I enjoyed it_.

Kita no Kaiou was nearly catatonic after the death of Freezer. 

Chou-zu, Tenshinhan, and Yamucha were sparring when their mysterious benefactor collapsed. The warriors having decided to release the tension they'd been feeling ever since Piccolo was wished back by continuing their special training. Leaving Kaiou alone to monitor the situation on Namek. It was the guardian's scream that alerted them to his distress.

"Kiaou-sama, Kaiou-sama!" Chou-zu shook the prone form of the rotund entity.

"Shit, what happened to him?" Yamucha asked on his knees then pressed the side of his face to Kaiou's chest. Searching for a heartbeat, even though he was far from certain where Kiaou's heart was.

"He's still alive… I think," Tenshinhan said.

Yamucha raised his head from Kiaou's chest, "How do you know that? I can't hear his heart and I can't feel him breathing either?"

Tenshinhan's three eyes narrowed but not with anger, but in concentration as he stared intently at Kiaou.

"I can sense his thoughts, they're strange and foreign, but they are there."

Yamucha looked at Tenshinhan and almost apologized for forgetting about his friend's telepathic abilities, but Chou-zu's alert stopped him.

"Look, he's waking up!"

Kiaou stirred slowly to consciousness. His antenna quivering as he awakened. Yamucha and Tenshinhan each grabbed one of Kaiou's arms and helped their current sensei to his feet. Chou-zu hovered several feet off the ground in front of Kaiou, his cherubic face furrowed with concern. 

"Kiaou-sama are you all right?" The small telepath asked.

Kiaou gave no response. His facial features utterly neutral and the dark glasses he had on hid whatever thoughts or emotions might have been reveled through his eyes. The three warriors exchanged glances. Each disturbed by the sudden subdued attitude from Kiaou. The only explanation for it was the death of one or more of their friends on Namek.

Tenshinhan was the first to ask the question they all dreaded an answer to. 

"Did someone die on Namek?"

"Yes, Tenshinhan," Kiaou replied, his usually pleasant alto voice came out very hollow.

Yamucha cursed under his breath, "Who was it?"

"Freezer. Freezer has died."

"Piccolo did it!" Chou-zu let out a high pitched whoop and laughed happily for a few moments before he realized that no one else had joined in on his elation.

"I don't understand, Kaiou-san. You don't sound too happy about Freezer dying. Isn't that want you—we—wanted?" Tenshinhan asked. His face now an exact reflection of Kiaou's. 

Tenshinhan was actually receiving impressions from Kiaou. Something he hadn't been able to do before. Kaiou's had been like brick wall when Tenshinhan first tried to read him. It was like the Guardian wasn't even there. Now thoughts were radiating from Kaiou in waves. 

And the impressions were terribly foreboding.

"Wait a minute," Yamucha began, "Did Piccolo die fighting Freezer?"

"Piccolo never fought Freezer, Yamucha." Kiaou stated flatly.

"Then who? Gokou, Vegita?" Yamucha asked his voice raising with frustration at Kaiou's remoteness.

"Calm down, Yamucha," Tenshinhan told his friend.

"One of our friends could be dead! Hell, all of them might be! I'm not going to calm down until he tells us what's gone wrong!"

Kaiou sighed and finally looked to each of his students, "Krillin killed Freezer."

The silence that blanketed Kaiou's planet couldn't have been cut with even the sharpest blade. None of the Earthlings quite believed what Kaiou told them. Though the trio knew the Guardian hadn't any reason to lie to them. But the possibility of Krillin defeating Freezer, the weakest of their number, seemed plainly impossible.

He'd been staring down at the body for a long time before he decided he had to destroy it. 

The evidence of the murder made him sick to his stomach. Krillin couldn't stand the sensation. And he didn't know why. 

Freezer had wantonly annihilated countless beings and had fully intended on killing Krillin and his friends. So why did Krillin feel guilt eating at his spirit? Shouldn't he thrill at the accomplishment of ending Freezer's malevolent and bloodthirsty existence?

__

Yes, I did thrill, didn't I? The sight of his head separating from his body made me want to laugh. Even now I wish Freezer could have suffered more… bled more. I wanted him to endure the agony of a lingering death, not the relatively quick demise I gave him. And that's what's wrong. The thrill of killing him is like a disease spreading through me…

Corrupting me.

Krillin brought the heels of his hands together then pulled them behind his right hip.

"Ka… me… Ha…me…" 

The last "Ha" wouldn't come. It stuck in his belly and bloated him. As the ki welling up between his cupped hands was held back by doubt. Krillin's eyes never left the body.

Krillin brought his hands apart and let the ki dissipate. The aborted energy glittering like fireflies from between his fingers.

_No._

_I can live with this. He deserved to die. He needed to die._

Krillin forced his gaze away from the body and stared straight ahead. Krillin's ki aura engulfed his armored form as he launched himself in the direction of Gohan and the others. 

_Yes. Gohan, Dende, Gokou, and Piccolo… they're what mattered. Freezer dying made them all safe. I have to focus on that._

Piccolo arrived on the battlefield in a rush of wind and power. The imposing Namek had been following the large ki of Freezer, but when tyrant's energy signature disappeared, Piccolo focused on the next largest ki, which belonged to Vegita. Gohan and the Saiyan were hovering high above the blasted ground, while a young Namek child stood below them.

_Dende!_ Nail exclaimed inside Piccolo, causing the former demon to grimace as he involuntarily experienced Nail's relief at seeing the boy. 

_Stop it! That's annoying! I didn't fuse with you so that I could feel your inane emotions!_ Piccolo rebuked the other.

__

I'm sorry. It's just that I am so happy to see him alive.

Piccolo made a guttural sound and let his gaze fall onto Gohan, and for a moment sympathized with his other aspect. 

_Whatever, just don't do that in the heat of battle, understand?_ Mentally, Nail gave the equivalent to a nod. _Good._

His bone white cape whipping in the wind, Piccolo cautiously moved over to Gohan and Vegita. The Namek focused on the Saiyan. Not seeing the warrior as an ally, but as the dangerous enemy he was. He understood Vegita too well to trust the Saiyan's motives, especially now that Vegita had destroyed Freezer. Whatever truce there had been between Vegita and the others was most likely void.

"Gohan… Vegita." Piccolo hailed the flying pair, albeit he greeted the former more warmly then the latter.

"Hey, Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan returned the greeting, staring up at his mentor with nothing less the pure admiration.

Vegita crossed his arms over his chest and smirked.

The Namek and the Saiyan sized each other up, both warriors trying to get a sense of the power they both knew the other was hiding. This went mostly unnoticed by young Gohan.

"You beat Freezer, Mr. Piccolo! I knew you could do it!"

Piccolo was so surprised by Gohan's declaration that he actually broke eye contact with Vegita for a moment to look at his former pupil. 

"What are you talking about? I haven't seen Freezer since I arrived on Namek!" Piccolo said although it wasn't quite true. He had encountered Freezer, after a fashion, through Nail. "I thought Vegita defeated--"

Vegita's smirk faded, replaced briefly with a scowl, then his eyes went wide in realization. 

"No fucking way!"

As Krillin came upon the group he could hear Vegita screaming, a sound that should have immediately filled him with dread. When Vegita screamed, it usually meant someone was about to get blasted. But Krillin could only manage a weary sigh. 

Emotional responses seemed beyond Krillin for the moment.

Krillin watched as Vegita's ki started to burn the sky. The Saiyan's tantrum masked the monk's own ki like the sun outshining a small flashlight. So Vegita, Piccolo, Gohan, and Dende had yet to notice Krillin's arrival.

"That weakling couldn't have! I refuse to believe it!" 

Gohan took refuge behind Piccolo, who squinted at the blinding light of Vegita's aura produced, but easily maintained his position in the sky.

"Gohan, what is this lunatic prattling on about?" Piccolo asked.

"I think he's talking about Krillin," Gohan answered after reaching the same conclusion as Vegita. Gohan recounted to Piccolo how Krillin stopped Freezer from killing him, and lead the tyrant away so Dende could heal his injuries.

"H-hey guys," Krillin hailed, forcing a smile across his face as he drifted over to his friends and Vegita.

The Saiyan growled when he saw the Earthling and in a blink of an eye was hovering in front of the monk. Vegita grabbed Krillin by the neck and began crushing the human's throat in his vise-like grip. 

"Tell me what happened out there you flea! Tell me right now!"

Instinctively, Krillin's hands tried to pry Vegita's right hand from about his throat. The suddenness of the attack hadn't allowed Krillin to draw in any air before his windpipe closed off, and Krillin found himself quickly suffocating. The circulation of blood to and from his head had also ceased, turning his bald cranium and face a deep shade of purple.

"Speak up!" Vegita screamed making a fist with his other hand and cocked his arm back for a blow.

Choking and desperate for oxygen, Krillin's felt his strength sapping away rapidly, his strength and his life. Krillin's vision fading to dark and his arms dangled weakly at his sides. Suddenly, Piccolo was behind Vegita.

The Namek took a hold of the Saiyan's wrist and squeezed. Causing Vegita to grunt in pain.

"Get your fucking hands off me, Namek!"

Vegita threw Krillin aside, the monk's near unconscious body falling as he gasped for the sweet, cool air of Namek. Gohan was the only reason the monk didn't crash straight to the ground.

Piccolo held Vegita's wrist, staring impassively at the infuriated Saiyan. Vegita had powered up so that Piccolo's hold wasn't hurting him anymore. 

"I said get your hands…" Vegita threw a punch which Piccolo caught in his other hand, "off of me!" Vegita thrusted his head forward and struck Piccolo in the forehead, nearly knocking Piccolo's white and purple turban off.

Piccolo flinched and his grip lessened, allowing Vegita to escape.

"You don't want to fight me Vegita, you will lose." Piccolo told the smaller man, swiftly recovering from Vegita's head-butt.

"Oh, really? You think because that Earthling somehow gets lucky and ends Freezer that miracles can happen? Forget it! I'll pound you into the fucking ground then I'm going to beat the truth out of that little bastard!"

Piccolo smiled. It was not a nice smile, "You know I've been looking forward to this, Vegita. I've been wondering what it'd be like to finally send a Saiyan straight to Hell," Piccolo removed both his turban and his cape, "And since Son is no longer an option, you will have to do."

Vegita threw his head back and laughed as he began fully power up, "This ought to be good! All right then, "Mr. Piccolo", come get some!"

__

Krillin you must stop them.

Krillin groaned as the familiar tingle of healing life force energy spread throughout his body. Krillin felt the soreness in his throat began to diminish gradually, and the cracked bones in his neck start to nit. Krillin opened his eyes and the dark outline of Dende slowly came into focus. The boy was holding his hands over Krillin's chest. A bright, yet soft yellow light flowed from Dende's palms and surrounded Krillin's entire body.

_You must stop them._

Kaiou's voice reiterated in Krillin's mind.

_Stop who?_

Piccolo and Vegita—if you don't, Vegita will die.

I'm sorry Kaiou-sama, but so what? This is the second time that maniac's tried to kill me. I won't help spare his life again.

Kaiou's telepathic voice paused. _You spared his life once before._

_Because Gokou--_

_No, Krillin, you allowed Vegita to live because you are not a murderer._

_You don't know what I am._

Again Kaiou paused. _Krillin, do you know why I asked Gokou to tell you to let Vegita live?_

_No, Kaiou-sama._ Krillin wondered if the God of the Northern Galaxy could hear the growing irritation in his mental voice.

__

Because if Vegita hadn't survived, Freezer's men would have prevented you from attaining the Namek dragonballs and killed you all.

_Are you telling me Vegita is going to help us in the future?_

Kaiou did not respond.

_Kaiou-sama?_

_Trust my judgment in this Krillin. Like Gokou trusted my judgment on Earth._

_Gokou trusts everyone, Kaiou-sama. That's not a very convincing argument_.

Krillin sighed when Kaiou gave no further reply.

_How am I supposed to stop them?_ The monk asked.

Krillin could almost hear the relief in Kaiou's mental voice. _You'll just have to stop Piccolo. Soon he'll overwhelm Vegita and--_

Krillin interrupted. _Go in for the kill…I understand Kaiou-sama._

The battle moved to the ground as the two warriors fought hand to hand. Vegita furiously struck out at the Namek, finding that Piccolo was evading or fending off his blows with ease. The Saiyan was beginning to suspect just how much stronger his opponent had gotten since Nappa fought him on Earth.

Vegita knew he had to change tactics. He began pulling his punches and kicks, letting his ki levels drop a little at a time. Piccolo immediately took the bait and went on the offensive.

Piccolo brought his right knee up quick and hard, forcing Vegita to use both hands to keep the Namek's kneecap from connecting with his stomach. Piccolo threw a left punch hitting Vegita's jaw then followed up with a blow with his right elbow to the Saiyan's temple. Vegita was able to roll with the first punch, but saw stars from the elbow. Dazed, but still in control, Vegita let the elbow shot's impact carry him away from Piccolo, augmenting the inertia with his own ki.

Vegita skidded across the ground. His arms and legs flailing until he came to a rest flat on his stomach. But the Prince was not all that badly hurt, though he added to the illusion that he was with a few pain-filled groans.

Blood was seeping into his mouth from a deep, meaty gash his teeth had sliced into the inside of his cheek. Pushing himself onto his hands and knees, Vegita spat the salty fluid to the ground just as Piccolo materialized in front of him. The Namek brought his elbow down on the back of Vegita's skull, knocking the Saiyan's face into the damp spot his spit and blood made in the dirt. Vegita cried out as he went flying after the Namek's foot dug through the ground and struck Vegita squarely in the face. Vegita felt his nose break.

Vegita both sensed and heard Piccolo's ki aura flare as the Namek launched himself on an intercept course with Vegita airborne figure. The Prince had to use his other senses because his eyelids were glued shut with the dirt, tears, and blood that had splattered and congealed across his face. The Saiyan worked through the agony stabbing him in the face and gathered his energy.

Vegita waited until he sensed that the Namek close enough to his position before he let his power spike and stopped himself from tumbling through the air. 

"**Gallic Gun!**"

_He was probably expecting an attack, which means…_ Vegita cut off his energy wave and twisted around to fire the beam just as Piccolo materialized behind him. _Got him!_

"Nice try."

__

Shit!

Krillin raised slowly, but steadily to his feet, gently waving off Dende and Gohan's efforts to aid him.

"Thanks Dende," Krillin told the boy. "That's another one I owe ya."

Dende bowed and Krillin smiled. Then Krillin turned to Gohan who was watching the battle between Piccolo and Vegita in awe. Krillin's smile was soon replaced with a severe frown when he followed Gohan's gaze and saw that Piccolo was already close to defeating the arrogant Saiyan prince. Even worse, Krillin could see the insane grin on the green man's face as he elbowed Vegita's head face first into the ground. The hard packed soil breaking apart on impact.

__

Stop Piccolo. Yeah, right! Under ordinary circumstances I'd be just as afraid of Piccolo as I am of Vegita.

Krillin grimaced when he saw Piccolo kick Vegita in the face, causing blood to spray from the prince's nose. The kick sent Vegita skyward and then Piccolo shot after the Saiyan like a bullet. An instant before the Namek could to continue his assault, the Saiyan abruptly halted in mid air and held his arms out in front of him bringing his hands, palms out, together and shouted _'Gallic Gun!'_

Gohan started to shout out a warning to his sensei when the Namek used Zanzoken to blink out of the path of Vegita's attack, and in that same instance faster then Krillin could follow, the Saiyan turned and redirected his Gallic Gun behind him. Both Krillin and Gohan gasped when the beam of energy appeared to hit Piccolo. Then Piccolo was behind Vegita again.

"All right, Mr. Piccolo!" exclaimed Gohan.

Krillin grinned along with the boy before he realized Vegita was only a few seconds away from death. Something he was supposed to prevent. Krillin took a few running steps and then propelled himself toward Piccolo and Vegita.

"Krillin, where are you going?" Gohan called after him.

"To get killed most likely." Krillin answered.

Vegita gritted his teeth and refused to cry out in pain as Piccolo grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked him backward. The Namek's sharp nails cut into Vegita's scalp, and more blood joined the rivers already flowing from his nose and mouth. Vegita felt a huge amount of power concentrating in Piccolo milliseconds later.

"So this is what it's like. Disappointing," Piccolo said and released the energy from his hand.

Piccolo's beam missed Vegita entirely, but grazed Krillin's back. 

The energy instantly scouring away the section of the armor it made contact with. But both Krillin and Vegita cried out. Krillin howled because Piccolo's beam left serious burns on his back, and Vegita did so because strands of his hair had been ripped out when the human tackled him out of the Namek's grip.

Krillin carried the weakened Saiyan over to Gohan and Dende, although not exactly. Just close enough that he hoped Piccolo might consider not sending a devil beam his way. Krillin looked over to the two boys to make sure they didn't come near him and Vegita. He wasn't surprised to see that neither of the boys looked even remotely interested in approaching.

Krillin set the prince down as they landed. Vegita managed to stay on his feet, however precariously, unaided. The Saiyan, face badly bruised and smeared with plasma, turned to the small Earthling. One dark eye glaring with emotions Krillin didn't recognize. Krillin backed away from the prince.

There was a whooshing sound behind him. "What the fuck are you doing, Krillin!" Piccolo bellowed.

Krillin quickly turned to face a very angry Piccolo. "Uh, well, Kaiou…" Krillin started to explain but the Northern Guardian's voice stopped him.

_Krillin do not tell Piccolo what I've told you! _Kaiou's ordered.

__

He'll kill me if I don't give a good reason…

Think of something to placate Piccolo, but you cannot let him become aware of what I have imparted to you.

But why--?

"Krillin, I swear I will dismember you if you do not explain your actions this instant." Piccolo declared in the most frightening way possible: in a chillingly calm, even voice.

Struggling to stay upright, Vegita stared down at the short Earthling whose badly burned back was to him, wondering the same thing.

"H-he saved Gohan from Freezer," Krillin said.

The Namek took and few steps toward the human and Vegita could see the Earthling fight the reflex to give ground before the seven foot tall Namek.

"To hedge his bets no doubt!"

"It doesn't matter why he did it, Piccolo. The fact is he did save Gohan and me from Freezer and his people. So he's even a little responsible for bringing you back."

If it wouldn't have caused him so much pain, Vegita might have laughed. Clearly, the bald man was overstating Vegita's involvement in the wish that had returned life to the Namek. The Earthling was purposely omitting the part when the Saiyan prince swore he'd kill Kakarotto's brat and the Earthling after the dragonballs became useless. 

Why was this Earthling protecting him?

"His mistake," Piccolo said and started to go around Krillin. Vegita took a step back and summoned up his remaining power. But Krillin blocked Piccolo's path. Vegita wasn't sure who was more surprised, him or the Namek.

"Vegita really isn't a threat to us anymore, Piccolo, and Freezer's dead… we won. Vegita can go his way and we can go ours. It's over."

Piccolo's gaze bore into the human. 

His expression alternating between anger at the Earthling's audacity for interfering, and a grudging respect at his bravery. 

"Very well," The Namek finally replied, then placed his glare on Vegita. "I suggest you take this opportunity to get the hell off this planet. Now."

"Fuck you," Vegita snarled his ki aura flaming to life.

"Vegita, you don't stand a chance against him. Just go. The universe is yours, but you better hurry before some ambitious soldier in Freezer's army beats you to it," Krillin said to the Saiyan while still facing Piccolo.

Vegita bowed his head grinding his teeth together in impotent rage. _I was so close to immortality, so close! But the little baka is right. Freezer's out of the way and it won't be long until his men discover that fact. I need to make my move soon._

Vegita raised his head and grinned maliciously. "Tell Kakarotto goodbye for me!" The Saiyan said and streaked off into the air.

_But this is not over_, Vegita thought as he pulled his space pod's tracker out of his left glove. _Oh, no. I'll come back and destroy them all: Kakarotto, the Namek, and that bald flea. Yes, he deserves my special attentions as well. Freezer underestimated him, but I won't!_

Vegita smiled and winced as his face rebelled against the action. _I'd still love to know how that weakling killed the all-powerful Freezer. I wish I could have been there. Damnit, a Saiyan **should** have been there!_

Piccolo, Gohan, Dende, and Krillin flew in the opposite direction of the Saiyan prince. The quartet was on course to Freezer's star cruiser. Gohan soared next to Piccolo, and Dende flew slightly behind the half Saiyan. Krillin had taken up the rear. The monk's intent was to stay far away from Piccolo, who was in the lead. Krillin's fear of the Namek once again reasserting itself now that the job of saving Vegita's life was accomplished. 

_Kaiou-sama?_ Krillin called out to the Guardian silently.

_What is it, Krillin?_

Why couldn't I tell Piccolo what you said? Do you know how close he came to--?

You couldn't tell him because Piccolo was not meant to know about Vegita's future importance.

And I am?

Yes, Krillin. Because from the moment you killed Freezer, you changed what was meant to be.

W-what do you mean, Krillin asked, a brief pang of regret gripping his belly.

__

Krillin, you were not meant to destroy Freezer.


	2. The Kill: Knowledge Without Experience

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dragonball-Z, not really sure who does either. It'd be a shame if people I don't know sued me. J v

THE KILL

By Jacob M. Bosch

CHAPTER 2: Knowledge Without Experience

The first image to roar through Krillin's mind was that moment in time when he immobilized Freezer with the Taiyoken. More images followed, diverging from what Krillin remembered. And the monk couldn't reconcile the myriad of dissenting memories with the reality he knew: 

His speeding away from the incapacitated Changeling instead of using the Kienzan… _Blurs_… Gokou fighting someone that looked like a smaller, more streamlined version of Freezer… _Blurs_… his own death, then Gokou bathe in an awesome golden aura, his hair spiked similar to Vegita's, only longer and blonde. _Blurs_… Freezer getting hit with an energy blast from Gokou, and disintegrating… _Blurs_… a young man with a sword also surrounded by a brilliant golden hue… 

A thousand more visions followed. Each one more confusing then those that came before it. Every one filled with death. 

Krillin begged Kaiou to make them stop.

_I don't understand! What was all that?_

_What will never be_, Kaiou said. _And what will happen because of your actions._

_Gokou was supposed to kill him… not me? But if that's true then… how? How could I have changed fate?_

_Is that so hard to believe?_

_Yes. I have always believed that destiny can't be changed. That it is immutable. That everyone's deeds, be they good or evil, is fated._

It does not happen often, Kaiou began, b_ut there have been times when people have acted contrary to their experience, beliefs, and destiny. _

_Piccolo was one such person_, Kaiou continued. _That however, was foreordained. Your killing Freezer was not… You allowed your rage to overrule your fear of the tyrant. You were supposed to run Krillin._

Krillin laughed sourly, both aloud and in the telepathic communication with Kaiou.

_So I was supposed to be the coward I've always been, huh?_

_Krillin…_

No! I'm not gonna listen to you tell me I'm responsible for some nightmare future because I stood up to that monster! 

Krillin…

Get out of my head, Kaiou, I don't want to hear anymore.

And with that the God of the Northern Galaxy was gone. Leaving Krillin alone with his doubts and fears.

Back on his small planet, Kaiou was frowning to himself after Krillin abruptly severed contact. 

The Guardian was standing apart from his current students as they conversed excitedly amongst themselves. Tenshinhan, Yamucha, and Chou-zu were still stunned by the news of Krillin's feat and couldn't stop talking about it. 

_I know you're not a coward Krillin. You cannot be. Not if you are to be the warrior the universe will demand of you when the time comes._

It is wrong what you are going to do to him.

Kami.

Kaiou. He doesn't deserve it.

It doesn't matter what he deserves. What matters, is that he accepts the responsibility.

Perhaps Gokou is more suited--

It has to be him.

The guilt may crush him.

He has faced and defeated a demi-god; he is much stronger then you, his allies, or I have given him credit for. If we had seen this earlier, so much heartache might have been averted. Now it is too late.

But to push him into becoming--

Kami, he cannot-- **we cannot**-- afford to hold onto his innocence. You know the consequences if he doesn't change as well as I do. You have seen. 

Yes.

Have you had any luck locating the dragonballs? Kaiou asked, abruptly changing the subject.

_Uh, yes. My assistant Mr. Popo has already gathered three of the dragonballs. It won't be long until he has recovered the remaining four._

Excellent, please inform me when you have them all.

Of course, Kaiou, as you wish.

Freezer's ship appeared on the horizon.

Upon seeing the vessel Gohan realized that his adventures on Namek finally were over, and that everyone had made it through. _Well, not every-**one.** _Gohan thought, glancing over at Dende. Dende's people were all dead.

Gohan wondered what was going to happen to the boy now. 

One by one the quartet descended through the large hole blown into the panoramic window above the ship's bridge. Gohan lead the way to the craft's medical bay. Piccolo and Dende walked a few steps behind the half Saiyan while Krillin took up the rear. They had to step over dozens of the charred corpses and body parts of Freezer's troops as they trekked through the ship's labyrinthine halls.

"Vegita's been busy," Piccolo commented.

The sliding door to the medical bay whooshed open when Gohan placed his small-gloved hand on the control pad next to the entrance. The room was in disarray, supplies strewn about the floor and gurneys were knocked over onto their sides. Only the oblong restoration tank and its control panel remained undamaged.

"Dad!" Gohan ran over to the tank where his father was still healing in its restorative liquids.

Gohan pressed his face against the round window in the center of the chamber's hatchway and saw his father inside floating upright. Two wires were taped to Gokou's temples and a black breathing apparatus was fastened over his nose and mouth.

"Dad?" Gohan repeated, fear hitching his voice when Gokou didn't respond.

__

No! Vegita said this thing was supposed to heal my Father! Why isn't he answering me? I knew we shouldn't have trusted…

Gokou's eyes fluttered opened then widened when he saw his son standing in front of the tank.

"Oh, hey Gohan." Gokou greeted his son jovially.

"Hi, Dad." Gohan returned. The relief in his prepubescent voice was apparent. "How are you feeling, Dad?"

"Great! Except I'm little hungry, it's been hours since I…" Gokou paused, "Hey is that Piccolo with you?"

"Yes, it's me Son." Piccolo responded walking up to the chamber.

"Whoa, you've gotten a lot stronger, Piccolo. Who's that with you?"

"That's Dende," Gohan answered.

"Hi, Dende,"

"Hello, Gokou-san."

"But he's not who I meant. I sense someone else with you, Piccolo." Gokou said.

Gohan looked confused. He can't mean Krillin?

"You never cease to amaze me Son," the Piccolo told the his one time enemy, "I believe you are referring to the Namek that I fused with, Nail."

"Nail!" Dende exclaimed.

Piccolo turned to the little Namek boy, but someone else's voice came out of his mouth.

"Dende, I am glad to see you. You've done well, Guru would be proud of you."

The boy began crying. "You're dead aren't you? You can never come back, can you?"

Piccolo/Nail lowered himself onto one knee in front of Dende. "No, Dende, I can't come back. Freezer hurt me so bad I was dying; joining with Piccolo was the only way to help stop Freezer. But I'm not dead either, apart of me is still alive in Piccolo."

Piccolo/Nail put his left hand to Dende's face, his thumb wiping away the tears sliding down the boy's round cheeks. The older Namek's expression was warm and open with compassion. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise Dende."

Suddenly, Piccolo/Nail stood up, his expression had lost all hint of tenderness as he walked away from Dende and leaned against the wall adjacent to the restoration tank. Crossing his arms over his chest almost defensively. 

"What the Hell are you looking at?" Piccolo growled and bared his sharp teeth at Krillin, who was staring at the Namek man as if he'd spontaneously grown an extra antenna.

"Uh, nothing, Piccolo."

"Damn right, nothing." Piccolo grunted.

Gohan quickly averted his own stare when Piccolo looked his way, still growling. Gohan knew Piccolo loved him, but he'd only seen such naked affection on Piccolo's face when the Namek lie dying after taking a ki blast for him. It was weird—but nice—to see, even if the emotions didn't belong to Piccolo.

"Hey guys, can I talk to Krillin alone?" Gokou asked breaking the awkward silence.

Piccolo was the first person out the door. 

"Sure, Dad." Gohan took Dende's hand in his and the two boys walked out together. Gohan looked over his shoulder back into the Medical bay just as the door closed and saw Krillin approach the tank hesitantly. To Gohan looked as if the monk was afraid of whatever his Father was going to say to him.

"You killed Freezer," Gokou said.

"How did you know that?" Krillin asked more then a little astonished that his best friend knew what was happening while recuperating in the tank.

"My body may have been out of the action, but my mind is working just fine. I was able to sense your encounter with Freezer." Gokou said. "Krillin, what you did wasn't wrong. Putting an end to Freezer's evil life wasn't wrong."

Krillin gaze met Gokou's through the fluid in the tank. "You wouldn't have. Not like that."

"Who knows what I might have done to stop him."

"Would you have made it so he couldn't fight back then execute him?" Krillin asked turning his head away, his voice filled with bitterness. "No, Gokou you would have fought him to the very end—honorably. Even if it meant dying. But me, I'm a coward. I… I…"

"Krillin trust me, you're anything but a coward. Would a coward face two Saiyans many times stronger then him or traveled to a planet with my son not knowing what he'd find so he could bring back his friends, never quitting no matter the odds against him? That's what you did Krillin. You're a warrior and you did what you had to, to protect the people you care about. That's who you are."

Krillin knew Gokou meant well and probably believed everything he'd said, but Krillin didn't. Gokou was applying his own philosophy to Krillin. Gokou was the warrior; he was the one born to fight. Ever since they were children Krillin could tell his best friend loved the challenge that fighting brought, Gokou thrived on it. 

Krillin fought because… Kami, it was hard to remember why he started fighting. To get girls to notice him—because his first master abused him relentlessly until he learned how to defend himself?

Krillin didn't know anymore.

Krillin kept on fighting because his friends needed him, and he didn't want to let them down. But Krillin was starting to think he'd abandoned his vows. Betrayed what he was deep inside, and sacrificed his soul trying to be what he wasn't.

"Oh, Geeze!".

"What is it Krillin?" Gohan asked alarmed.

Krillin had his face buried in his hands and his voice came out muffled, "We forgot about Bulma."

"We are all going to die!" Gohan groaned into his palms along with Krillin.

Piccolo, hovering cross-legged in one corner of the room, raised his brow in annoyance. Krillin's exclamation had broken his already tenuous meditation. "So the female had to wait, it's not like she is in emanate danger."

Krillin and Gohan shared a look then returned their faces to their hands.

"I cannot believe that two warriors are frightened of one non-powered human, it is ridiculous!" Piccolo said with disgust.

Krillin raised his head up smiling all of a sudden. "You're right, we're pathetic. Maybe you should go and get her!"

"I have better things to do then to taxi some human about." Piccolo grumbled then closed his eyes and went back to meditating.

Mildly dejected, Krillin rose from where he was sitting in front of the restoration tank and got to his booted feet and made his way toward the Medical Bay's door. Gohan got up too, but Krillin waved at the boy. "It's okay Gohan, no use in the both of us getting our heads chewed off."

_Besides, I could use the time alone_, Krillin thought to himself. _And a good fast fly would feel good about now. That, and I don't think Piccolo would appreciate bring left alone with Dende._

"Wait, Krillin." Gohan said after sitting back down next to Dende. Krillin turned to the boy. "Your back looks pretty bad, maybe Dende should heal it."

Honestly, Krillin didn't feel the burns on his back, and actually forgot he had them. It didn't take long for Dende to heal him for a third time in almost as many hours. The monk thanked the boy once again and left the Med. Bay. He made his way through the ship to the bridge, getting lost once because he wasn't paying attention to which way he was going. Krillin's mind was too preoccupied with his last words to Gokou before the Saiyan finally gave in to the drugs pumped into his body by the chamber.

Krillin lied to his best friend. He couldn't remember a time when he ever lied to Gokou. It had been pointless really, because the other knew him so well and, well, Krillin never really had anything to lie about, not to anyone. Especially not to Gokou, whom he shared everything with until they lost touch shortly after Gokou married Chi-Chi.

Gokou only surrendered to the narcotic slumber after Krillin assured him that he was all right with what happened with Freezer. 

_It was easy. _Krillin thought when he finally found the bridge, feeling as disgusted with himself as Piccolo must have been with him in the Medical bay. Maybe more so.

Lying to Gokou was too damned easy. The man took nearly everything at face value, even if the lie was obvious. It pained Krillin to take advantage of his friend's trusting heart, but Krillin wasn't ready to relinquish the guilt he was experiencing. And he knew Gokou would somehow convince him he didn't need to feel culpable. 

_But I need to feel the remorse. Because I'm afraid of what'll take its place._

Searching for Bulma's small ki was a simple task, since hers was one of two ki's still on Namek that didn't belong to those on Freezer's space ship. The only other signature Krillin felt belonged to Vegita, which was steadily growing more vague and distant to Krillin's perceptions. 

Allowing his senses to guide him, the monk put himself on autopilot and enjoyed the world of Namek, which passed by quickly, but not so much so that Krillin couldn't appreciate its uncomplicated beauty.

Within ten minutes Bulma Briefs was in sight. Krillin was surprised to see that the stubborn young woman was still at the rocks where he and Gohan had left her after taking the Dragonball Radar. Krillin had been sure Bulma would try and find the warriors after her legendary impatience got the better of her common sense.

Bulma was fiddling with a piece of equipment over a worktable. 

She held the contraption in her left hand and held a fine tool of some kind in the other, poking at the machine's insides. Her head bowed over the mechanism as she clenched a small eyepiece between her eyebrow and her cheek over right eye. Bulma was so focused on her tinkering she didn't notice when the monk landed several feet away from her.

Krillin was about to shout hi to the genius, but thought better of it. Remembering how easily the woman was startled. Instead, Krillin cleared his throat softly. 

Bulma raised her head from the contraption.

"Krillin?"

"Hi, Bulma."

"Why in Kami's name are you wearing Saiyan-jin armor?" she asked as she set the machine and her tools down on the worktable.

Krillin put his right hand behind his head, "Vegita thought me and Gohan would be better protected against Freezer wearing this armor."

"Well, it doesn't look like it protected you all that much," Bulma declared indicating the hole in the armor's torso.

"Yeah."

"Is something wrong…?" Bulma stood up abruptly, her chair tipping over backward hitting the rocky ground with a clang. "Krillin, where's Gohan and Gokou?"

"Oh, they're back at Freezer's ship. They're fine Bulma."

The woman let out a deep sigh of relief, "Good, I thought something horrible had… wait a minute, what do you mean they're back at Freezer's ship?"

"Yeah, Gokou got thrashed pretty bad, well his body did anyway, so we had to put him in the healing machine on Freezer's ship. Piccolo and Dende are waiting with Gohan for him to get better," Krillin said looking up at the much taller Bulma.

"But what about Freezer? If he catches everybody there, he'll massacre them!"

"Freezer's gone Bulma. Come on, I'm taking you back to the ship."

"Son Gokou does it again," Bulma sighed. "Krillin is something wrong?"

"I'm fine, do you need help getting your things together?"

"Krillin something is wrong. You scowl every time Freezer comes up."

Krillin looked down at the ground and said nothing.

"Krillin…"

"Are you coming or not?" The monk asked his voice barely audible.

"How dare you…!" Bulma began to shout but stopped when she noticed that Krillin was still inspecting the ground.

Krillin heard the woman step closer to him and felt the pressure of her small delicate hand when she placed it on the armor plate covering his left shoulder. "Tell me Krillin."

"Nothin' Bulma, really," Krillin replied looking up at Bulma again, the lie rolling from his tongue easily. But his smile felt, and probably looked forced, "I just wanna get you back to the ship and for Gokou to heal so we can all get off this planet."

The woman took her hand away and placed both her hands on her hips, "Well, I'd have to agree with you on that. It sure will be nice to finally get home. And since Piccolo's back I assume you found the Namek dragonballs, which means the Earth dragonballs are back, and now we can resurrect Yamucha and Tenshinhan. Really, Krillin I don't know why you're acting so depressed, it looks like you guys accomplished the mission."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

When they got back to the saucer shaped space ship, Gokou's stint in the restoration chamber had run its course. Krillin noticed that Gokou's hair was still wet, and his tattered orange and black gi was soaked through with liquid from the tank. It couldn't have been too long ago that his friend's healing cycle had ended. 

The Saiyan and Piccolo were standing face to face. Their heads shaking and nodding as if they were deep in conversation. Except neither of the men's lips were moving. 

"Gokou!" Bulma exclaimed after seeing the Saiyan for the first time since Krillin, she, and Gohan left for Namek.

"Shhh, Bulma," Gohan told the woman. "Piccolo and my dad are talking to Kaiou-sama."

Krillin stiffened at the mention of the Guardian's name and sweat broke out on his forehead. He was afraid of what Kaiou was saying to the two powerful warriors.

"Gokou will make time for me," Bulma said haughtily turning her nose up. "Besides he owes me. Taking his sweet time getting here while I've been hiding under rocks!"

Bulma walked up to the Saiyan and promptly slapped the back of his head.

"Oh, hey Bulma."

"Well, if it isn't the big hero. I guess since you beat Freezer you're too good to say hello to your friends, eh?"

"Come on, Bulma, it's not like that," Gokou said. "Beside, I didn't--"

"Gokou, what does Kaiou want?" Krillin broke in earning looks from everyone in the Medical Bay. The monk couldn't hide the spite or the slight panicky tone that had entered his voice.

"Kaiou's was just telling us that the Earth's dragonballs have all been gathered. Mr. Popo's gonna wish all the Nameks back to life. Kaiou figures if we bring back all the Nameks that it'll bring Guru back too." Gokou answered.

"I get it! And when Guru comes back so will the Namek dragonballs!" said Gohan.

"That's the plan," Piccolo replied. "Now can we get back to working out the details of **that** plan."

"I don't believe it." Vegita whispered as he set down next to Freezer's decapitated corpse.

Prince Vegita tucked his tracker back into the hidden pocket in his glove then knelt down before his "master's" remains. His heart pounding fiercely in his chest, the Saiyan prince dug his fingers into Freezer's torn throat cavity, covering his gloved fingertips in the Changelings viscous blood.

"How long have I waited for this moment," Vegita started. "To have your blood on my hands?"

Vegita turned his head and saw the tyrant's horned head laying face down in the dirt a few feet away. He stood up and went over to the head and picked it up by both bull-like outgrowths on either side of the cranium. He turned the skull around so he could look into its face. The tyrant's facial expression was a frozen mask of surprise and death. Drools of purplish blood had dried around his lower lip and down over his chin.

"I never would have believed that Flea had it in him to do this. Humph. I think I know what attack he used now, I've seen him use it before. But how did he get this bastard to stand still for it?"

Vegita hawked up mucus from his throat then spat the phlegm into Freezer's face. 

"After everything you've done to my kind even in death you piss on our right to vengeance. Getting offed by some insignificant Earthling."

Prince Vegita tossed the head aside like the trash that it was, "I'll leave what's left of you for the carrion eaters. At least something will benefit from your ignominious defeat."

Vegita turned on his heel, and crossed his arms over his chest. He slowly he lifted off the ground, only sparing a backward glance to sneer at Freezer's remains. Then the Prince of all Saiyans exploded forward, and returned to the search for his space pod.

Krillin could sense the awakening of ki energy in every direction. It started to happen slowly at first, but as the minutes passed he felt the emergence of entire Namek villages as they sprang to life once more.

"It worked, the dragonballs brought the Nameks back to life, all of them. Amazing," Piccolo said and he really did sound impressed.

"Look at the sky, the Dragon Porunga is back!" Gohan pointed to portal window in the Med. Bay. It had grown very dark outside. Gloomy impenetrable clouds filled the upper atmosphere, blocking all light radiating from Namek's three suns for miles around. Only the far horizon showed any hint of the crystal clear aquamarine sky that normally and constantly encompassed the planet Namek.

"And so is Guru," Dende said, tears filling his dark eyes.

"You guys still have one wish left, what are you gonna to wish for?" Gokou asked.

Krillin, Gohan, and Dende all exchanged glances with big smiles on their faces. 

"Chou-zu!" Krillin and Gohan shouted together.

Gokou carried Bulma as they flew to Guru's hilltop dwelling in order to return the now powerless Namek Dragonballs. Piccolo and Krillin were holding two of the dragonballs. While Gohan, Dende, and Bulma carried the rest.

"So this is what dragonballs look like after you make a wish," Bulma said observing the large perfectly spherical white stone she held in her hands. "I wonder why the Namek Dragonballs don't scatter all over the world after granting wishes like the Earth Dragonballs do?"

"You can ask Guru when we get to his place," Krillin replied feeling in high spirits. A genuine smile plastered on his face.

They had wished Chou-zu back and he was safe on Earth. And in half a year's time when the Namek Dragonballs recharged, they'd be able to wish Tenshinhan and Yamucha to life as well. Knowing that his friends were going to live again had lifted a great deal of the guilt Krillin felt over Freezer's death. Allowing the monk to believed for the first time he just might get past what he'd done.

Holding his arms out to his sides, Krillin twirled and looped through the emerald green sky. Getting a feel for the crisp air as he cut the lower atmosphere with his body. He wished he were wearing his dark orange and blue gi instead of the Saiyan-jin armor. The armor was too insulated for his tastes. He barely felt the wind move over his body except where the armor exposed his skin.

"Hey, Krillin, you're in a good mood all of a sudden!" Bulma called out.

"We have a lot to be happy about Bulma."

"Yeah!" Gohan cried out in agreement and joined Krillin in dare deviling. The two comrades flew in wild, carefree maneuvers around their friends. Dende got in on the act as well, but when Gokou started to join in the celebration, a mortified Bulma quickly stopped him. Piccolo watched in distaste, but did and said nothing to discourage the trio.

The Krillin dove toward the ground, healthy patches of green grass ruffling as his Bu Kuu Jutsu pressed against the ground. He advanced over a lake-sized body of water that reflected the verdant shade of the sky. The water also was displaced by his flying ability. A long triangular pattern was marked his path as he passed over the lake. Small, splashy waves sent up cool spray, which pixy kissed Krillin's face, arms, and thighs until he was over dry land once more.

Krillin shot up into the sky again. 

When was the last time any of them had flown like this just because they loved it? Krillin couldn't remember. Nor could he remember a time when he wasn't flying to save his life or someone else's. 

Speeding for all he was worth because some villain wanted to kill him, his friends… and in some cases his world.

"Thank you my friends," The mountainous Guru told the Earthlings after they'd placed the seven dragonballs down before the eldest Namek. "I can't thank you enough for saving my children."

Young Dende was standing next to Guru's mammoth throne tending to the ancient Namek.

"Thank you for letting us use your dragonballs," Krillin said. "We couldn't have wished Piccolo and Chou-zu back without them."

"Yeah, not to mention you releasing our hidden powers," Gohan said.

"Uh, Guru, sir? You wouldn't happen to have any food here would you?" Gokou asked hopefully, everyone could hear the Saiyan's stomach rumbling.

"Of course not, Son. We Nameks do not eat solids," Piccolo answered.

"Aw, man." Gokou's stomach growled even louder.

"Gokou are you always thinking about eating?" Bulma admonished the warrior.

Gokou scratched the back of his head as he pondered Bulma's question. "No, I think about practicing a lot, too. And making sure I'm not late for Chi-Chi's meals after I practice, and sometimes I…"

"Never mind, Gokou," Bulma said rolling her eyes.

The Saiyan shrugged and walked about Guru's dwelling, unconsciously searching for something to eat.

"Goodbye Dende!" Gohan called back to the other boy as the Earthlings flew away from the tall rock pillar. Tears shone in Gohan's eyes as he and the Namek boy waved at each other.

"Goodbye Dende!" Krillin bid the boy farewell, his eyes also watery with tears. The three of them had been through so much searching for the dragonballs. Like narrowly escaping Dodoria and Vegita's clutches. Not to mention all the dangers they'd faced after gathering all seven magical spheres.

"Goodbye, goodbye!" Dende shouted back.

Other Nameks were flying to Guru's home as the Earthlings left for Gokou's ship. Among the sojourning Nameks were the elder Nameks from Dende's village and his brother, Cargo. As word of the Earthlings deeds spread among the massing Nameks, all of the noble Namek-jin joined Dende in waving goodbye to the departing heroes.

"I'm really going to miss him, Krillin." Gohan sniffled when Guru's dwelling faded from their sight. 

"At least we'll know Dende's going to be all right. Especially now that he's got his family back." Krillin said.

The half Saiyan boy wiped at his tears and seemed to brighten up. "Yeah."

Gokou sped away with Bulma. The hungry Saiyan was in a real hurry to get back to his ship and raid its frige. Bulma's protests weren't enough to slow the warrior down this time. 

"Bulma's father really made that out of a Saiyan-jin space pod?" Krillin whistled when he, Gohan, and Piccolo approached the enormous black and white—mostly white—spherical spacecraft that Dr. Briefs built. Capsule Corp. was painted along the outside diameter of the craft in bold black letters. The ship's gangplank hatchway was open and Krillin could sense Gokou and Bulma were already within. 

When the others flew inside, Bulma was alone, sitting at the controls of the ship. Her fingers dancing over buttons and switches as she programmed a flight path back to Earth.

A machine in the center of the control deck caught Krillin's attention. While he wondered what it was, Piccolo went over and inspected the equipment.

"Bulma, where's my dad?"

"Below deck pigging out on whatever's left of the food," Bulma answered without looking away from the computer.

"Uh-oh. Bulma, how long is it going to take for us to get back home?" Krillin asked.

"Barring any course changes, I'd say five days… oh, I see where you're going," The young scientist said turning to Krillin.

"Yep. It's going to be a long, hungry trip."

"Aww, come on guys one little meal isn't going to hurt our supplies!" Gokou pleaded with his friends and son as they tried to drag him away from the staircase that lead to the lower deck.

"Uhn… Gokou you… uhn… have to wait for tomorrow's rations, or we'll run out of food before we get home!" Krillin grunted pulling at one of Gokou's arms. Gohan was working on his Father's other arm, while Piccolo had the Saiyan in a nasty chokehold. And still they couldn't stop Gokou from inching forward.

"Son, you act as though you've never fasted before!"

"Fasted? What does that mean?"

"Gohan!" Son Chi-Chi cried when she saw her son descend from the Capsule space ship.

Chi-Chi wasn't the only one waiting to greet the interplanetary travelers: Bulma's parents were there, so was Master Muten Roshi, the shape shifting pig, Oolong, Yamucha's familiar Puar, Yajirobe, and the pale faced Chou-zu.

"Hi, Mom."

Chi-Chi ran over to Gohan and scooped the boy into a hug. "My, baby's back home!"

Piccolo followed his former student out of the ship all the way down to the lip of the platform, then immediately leaped into the air and flew away to parts unknown. Bulma emerged next.

"Mom, Dad!" Bulma waved and ran over to greet her folks.

Stepping off the ship, Krillin stopped on top of the platform and watched his friends as they gathered around Bulma and Gohan. Chi-Chi fussed over her only child, while the others fired a hundred questions at the two about what happened on Namek. The monk smiled broadly, realizing this is why he fought…and killed. To have his friends laugh and be happy, even for Chi-Chi to be obsessively over protective of Gohan. They were worth risking his soul, worth any cost to see them safe from harm.

"Hey guys, aren't you going to let me up now?" Gokou asked from inside the spaceship.

Krillin turned back around and looked down at his long time friend. Gokou was lying flat on his back, his muscular arms and legs spread out. Bulma had programmed the ship's gravity generator to pin the Saiyan to the floor with a localized gravitation field of five hundred g's.

"Sure, Gokou."

"So what was it like being cooped up with Piccolo for five whole days?" Oolong asked.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Bulma said. "At first I though: Oh, man he's going to kill us in our sleep or at least try and boss everybody around like he's king of the world or something. But he mostly floated around the ship meditating."

"Yeah… and he wouldn't even… spar with me or anything… could you hand me the… yes, thank you Mrs. Briefs!" Gokou said between stuffing his mouth with several different food groups at once.

Everyone was sitting around a picnic table Mrs. Briefs had set up for their arrival. Half the food the scientist's wife had spread out went straight down Gokou's gullet. Krillin felt somewhat nauseous watching Gokou's cheeks stretched out of proportion to his face as he ate.

Blanching, Krillin turned his head away from Gokou and saw Chou-zu sitting at the end of the picnic table, the eternal child's face was long with sadness. Krillin knew Chou-zu would be inconsolable until Tenshinhan returned, but went over to comfort his friend anyway. Getting up from his place at the picnic table, Krillin mussed up Gohan's short, straight bowl cut hairstyle then went over to Chou-zu.

Half year passed and everyone gathered once more to the battle site where they fought Nappa and Vegita. Chi-Chi even let Gohan out of his studies to see Tenshinhan and Yamucha wished back to the mortal realm. Even Piccolo came which Chi-Chi didn't like at all.

Kaiou relayed their wishes to Dende who summoned the Namek Dragon, Porunga, for them.

"We want to wish Yamucha and Tenshinhan back to life!" Gokou told Kaiou.

"He says the wishes have been granted." Said after a few moments.

Yamucha faded into reality first. "Yamucha!" Puar squealed, flying at the warrior, slamming happily into his chest.

"It's good to see you too, Puar,"

Tenshinhan appeared next and received a welcome similar to Yamucha's, only he was tackled by Chou-zu.

Everyone was home.

Almost a galaxy away Vegita, the Prince of all Saiyans was suffering. 

The Saiyan Prince was stripped naked and nailed to a bulkhead on the lowest deck of a behemoth spacecraft. A craft that plotted its way to the planet its sister ship had descended upon over a year ago. 

Vegita's nude body bled from every pore, and yet he lived. Even his dark piercing eyes were coated with plasma, blinding the prince with a blood-red haze. The blood pouring from him was caught in a recycling basin beneath his crucified body and injected back into him via IV.

Vegita's tormentor informed him that the method of torture used on him was being alpha tested on the Prince. Vegita had been "vaccinated" with a new nano peptide that rerouted blood vessels and forced blood to flow from the skin and other orifices. The process was slow, almost a crawl, keeping Vegita weak while several other drugs, means of inflicting pain that Vegita was quite familiar with, acted upon his nervous system. Deteriorating his nerve fibers on a microscopic level, rebuilt them, and then repeated the process all over again. It was conceivable—if his tormentor was to be believed—this torture could go on forever.

Vegita had been left alone days ago, or at least he thought it was days ago. It was hard to tell—it might have actually been only a few hours. Time stopped mattering when every moment was a clone of the moment before. What was he thinking about? Yes, it had been, maybe, days since he was left alone to ponder the errors of his ways. Vegita's tormentor also insisted on knowing what had happened to his son. Of course being who he was, Vegita refused to give the bastard what he wanted.

_Let the fucker find out for himself!_ Had been Vegita's feelings on the matter.

The drugs were working on his testicles now and Vegita screamed. The scream came out more like a high keening whine, like the sound a dog makes after getting kicked. Vegita lost his voice days (?) ago. The repair drugs couldn't keep up with all the damage his pain-filled screams had done to his vocal cords. It was probably a bug in the torture method, the Prince was sure. Because the wretched cries of agony, and futile pleas for mercy, has always been a big part torture. It was the part Vegita had always enjoyed, anyway.

His hunger gnawed at him as well. Vegita was fairly certain that starvation was SOP when holding prisoners. The fact that the lack of sustenance was its own hell to Saiyans' was just a bonus torture inflicted on him. Sometimes other pains distracted him from his hunger, but not reliably.

A door opened, and heavy footfalls came toward him.

"Ah, the Method is progressing nicely I see," A deep, cultured voice said. Vegita couldn't be sure, but the voice might have had a pleased quality to it. But the voice also sounded like it came from behind a wall, so what did he know?

"Mmm, I will have to give those scientists of mine credit, if not praise, for this new torture. I have never seen such an effective Method."

_Fuck you._ Vegita tried to say but the words came out as a wet, gurgling sound.

"Yes, credit where credit is due. I'll have you know that my ship is heading for that little planet where I'm sure all will be reveled. Of course you'll be subjected to this agony until we arrive, unless you tell me what happened to my dear son, Freezer," King Kold told the Saiyan prince.

"It seems as though Namek is going to have to wait for my investigation. Your little insurrection in my son's Space Possession has sparked several uprisings that must be dealt with," King Kold said during his next visit. "You Saiyans can be a nuisance. I see why my son was so concerned about your species."

Vegita was completely blind now, no red haze, just a persistent solid black. But he wasn't hungry anymore, for some reason, and the bleeding had stopped spontaneously. And since no more fresh blood flowed, Vegita's entire body was encrusted with old blood. Vegita suspected he might not have truly lost his sight. That it was probably only dried plasma that had sealed his eyelids shut. But the theory was hard to test out because he hadn't been able to work his lids for awhile now. Or any other part of his body besides his mind, and even that'd been difficult to hold onto.

"You may have noticed that the Methods have worn off? Well, it appears that after all these months your Saiyan physique has built immunities to the nano peptides and the drugs we've given you. My new scientists are working on stronger versions of the Methods as we speak."

__

Yay. Months?

"As you can no doubt tell by now, most of your body mass has been eaten away by the drugs. One can hardly tell you even had that perfect Saiyan body anymore. Emaciated, I believe the word is."

"We have finally arrived. Ah, it seems as if you've regained a bit of your health. Perfect, because I'm going to require your presence while I am on Namek, if for no other reason then to have the proper visual aid."

Krillin woke up screaming.

The inside of the monk's small cabin several miles outside of North Capital, was pitch black, and Krillin yelled again. The darkness reminded him of the end of his dream, except there were no stars, no floating debris swirling about in a maelstrom of ki and gravity. 

Namek was dead.

The soil beneath his feet was familiar. He'd been here little more then a year ago, but this place had always been close by, in his head at least. He often dreamed about this far away, alien land, and the reveries mercifully never involved…Him. The dreams were peaceful and silent, because he was always alone. For miles in every direction only he occupied the rocky landscape.

Two white suns shined above him as a third sun was setting into the horizon to his right. Krillin stopped walking to watch the star sink beneath the edge of the world. When the sun disappeared the monk turned away and resumed walking. Eventually he came upon the shore of a lake, one of a thousand such bodies of water spread all over Namek. He stopped again and lowered himself down onto his stomach, his bald round head hanging over the edge of the narrow shore. 

He saw his green tinted reflection smiling back at him. He looked happy—serene. Six dot tattoos lined his forehead in two parallel rows. They were red in reality, but appeared black in the wet mirror. Sticking out his tongue, Krillin made a face at himself before he stood up and continued on his mysterious way. 

He walked on not thinking, not feeling, his only sense of distinctiveness came from that odd self-awareness that came with dreams. He did feel his body though, and how Namek's environment affected him. How an assertive breeze fluttered the dark orange material of his gi and played with the black belt tied about his slender waist. And how the suns' caressed his body with warmth. Krillin walked on.

The monk didn't notice the sky getting brighter at first, mostly because it was unexpected. This dream was always the same, unvarying from night to night. He continuously took the same invisible path, passed by the same lakes and ponds and rocks.

When the brightness finally attracted his attention, Krillin was confused. This had never happened before. Slowly, the monk tilted his head up and saw three suns inhabiting the sky. One of the orbs was growing brighter and eclipsing the two other suns. The glowing ball was coming closer. 

_This isn't right_, the monk thought.

Soon, a powerfully hot wind had arisen, carrying with it dust and small rocks which tore at Krillin's gi and bit into his face and arms. The particles even needled the monk's eyes, but Krillin never blinked, never turned his face away from the raging wind as he watched the ball of light fall through the sky. He saw a dozen Nameks fly in over his head, each ablaze in ki auras as they hurried toward the descending globe.

The twelve Nameks were soon joined by more of their kin and all glowed with energy. Krillin looked on unmoving as the Nameks, old and young alike, began firing energy waves at the enormous ki ball—Krillin knew that's what the sphere was now, even though he could not sense it—in a vain attempt to halt the world-killer. But it was useless, the Namek's beams gave way before the massive ki blast, but the Nameks never let up, until one by one the Nameks expended all their energy.

The defenders were the first to vaporize as they tried to stop the blast with their bare hands. Krillin followed the spheres destructive fall passionlessly, as if he were simply watching a snowflake float harmlessly to the ground. The land rocked when it impacted, and the wind went from hot to a blistering inferno. Krillin's astral form went largely unaffected even as the planet broke apart under his feet, and energy swirled violently about him. The monk swiveled his head this way and that, watching the air grow thick with black soot.

Geysers of molten lava spewed from the center of the shattered planet, propelling chunks of Namek into space. As another chain reaction shook the dying world, the ground fell from under Krillin's feet. The monk looked down and saw the faintest hint of stars gleaming at the bottom of the abyss. He was seeing through to the other side of the planet.

The roar of destruction was a whisper to his ears when one last explosion swallowed Namek. A searing light blinded Krillin and yet his eyes remained open. Waiting to see once more, the monk heard a strange white noise surround him and it was louder and far more unnerving then the death knell that took Namek. When his vision cleared Krillin was drifting through the frozen vacuum of space. And what remained of the once beautiful planet Namek was at the mercy of stellar forces, and the waste energy from the ki blast that had annihilated it.

Krillin stumbled across his darkened bedroom, feeling his way to the closet. When his hand gripped the closet's wooden doorknob he ripped the door off its hinges. Grabbing one of the many gi that hung inside Krillin quickly put the outfit on over his boxers. Ignoring his boots, the small man rushed out of his cabin and took to the air. All the while tears of outrage and sorrow were streaming from his eyes.

He was a comet streaking through the nighttime sky, and he didn't care who saw him. As he flew over North Capital City, Krillin carelessly swelled his ki aura to the size of a small planetoid and let his power tear through the cityscape. Rocking concrete and metal skyscrapers to their foundations and shattered countless plate glass windows. 

Despite his injured thoughts Krillin knew where he needed to go. Where he could find the answers to his questions, and who could tell him that his dream wasn't real.

Kami steeled himself, pushing aside his own grief as Krillin sped toward the Lookout high above the Earth. 

Kami had of course felt the planet Namek die. But even he hadn't been unfortunate enough to experience its destruction first hand. And though Kami pitied the young monk more then he would ever be able to express, the God of Earth knew that Kaiou was right. 

The human would have to suffer his twisted destiny utterly alone.

The Kami of Earth leaned heavily on his body length wooden staff, standing near the edge of his Lookout. His acute hearing had already picked up the sound of Krillin's approach. Kami watched as water vapor trailed after the human when emerged from the dark clouds below and made an arching descent and came in for a landing on the huge bowl-shaped structure. 

Kami's wizened face showed nothing of the emotions he felt inside. 

Krillin's bare feet touched down upon the Lookout's white tiled surface. He stood less then six feet away from the god, who'd turned to face him. And upon seeing the human's face, Kami's mask of indifference nearly faltered. 

Shameless tears flowed from Krillin's eyes and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides. The well-defined muscles in his arms vibrated with tension.

"Tell me what I saw wasn't true."

Kami hesitated for a split second. Only too aware of how his next words would affect the human's future. 

"Everything you saw is true."

Krillin sunk to his knees in a heap. All his strength seemed to drain from his body. 

"It's my fault."

"Yes."

Kami watched Krillin double over and wrap his arms around his stomach gasping for breath. His forehead smacking onto against the ground. The affirmation had struck the monk like a physical blow.

"And it is not over."

Krillin brought his head up, "W-what… do… you mean?" 

"The force that destroyed the planet Namek is coming here. You have already been shown this Krillin." Kami said.

The human looked back down at the ground remembering. "K-king Kold. I have to warn everyone."

"You can, but due to your actions on Namek, no one, not even Gokou, will have the power to stand against Freezer's father," Kami stated with no mercy what so ever. "Earth will share the same fate as Namek."

"No… **no**!" Kami was knocked back by the force of Krillin's aura as the monk exploded into the night air. 

The god clutched his staff tightly, and allowed his own pain and guilt to finally surface as the human dove back to the Earth below. His distress deepening the many wrinkles that already creased his dark green face. Kami turned from the edge of the Lookout and unhurriedly made his way to his temple. His staff rapping against the lookout's tiled floor 

For more then three hundred years it had been Kami's duty to watch over and protect all the people of Earth. And after long centuries of resolve and dedication, he'd never wavered in that duty. Until now. 

Manipulating Krillin tore at Kami's heart. But he had no other choice. Krillin was but one man and the needs of one man were insignificant when weighed against the needs of untold billions. And yet Kami wanted very badly to spare his one time student. Though he knew the consequences if Krillin were not steered onto the proper course.

_It cannot be helped. Either he embraces his fate or all is lost--_

"Hello, Kami." 

_That voice! No, it is not possible!_

Kami halted just outside the entrance of his temple and whirled about. Five creatures stood before him. Kami didn't recognize the four that wore body armor. But the smallest member of the trespassers, with his pale green skin, and blue trimmed black outfit and pink cape, was all too familiar.

"Garlic Jr."


	3. The Kill: Backing It Up

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dragonball-Z, not really sure who does either. It'd be a shame if people I don't know sued me. J v

THE KILL

By Jacob M. Bosch

CHAPTER 3: Backing It Up

The sun rose slowly over the ocean. Its golden rays pouring over the ocean's murky hued surface, transforming the dark, salty water into a bright shimmering blue. 

Six warriors stood on the beach in front of Kame House. The pink two-story abode sat in the center of a small island located in the Southeastern Ocean. Krillin was standing apart from Gokou, Piccolo, Yamucha, Chou-zu, and Tenshinhan. He stared blankly out over the immense body of water. His mind he was replaying the image of the Nameks vaporizing seconds before their world followed them into oblivion. 

Only Krillin—sans his boots, Gokou, and Piccolo were wearing their training gi. 

Yamucha and Tenshinhan both wore street clothes. 

Yamucha had on a white, blue striped baseball jersey with the name of the team he played on sewn across the front of it in blue script, a pair of loose fitting blue jeans, and white sneakers. 

Ten was wearing a long green overcoat with no shirt underneath, matching pants with a red sash wrapped about his waist, and black shoes. 

Chou-zu's very small form was enshrouded from the neck down with his princely black, green, and red robes. A black beanie-like hat adorned his nearly bald head.

"Are we suppose to believe Namek was blown up because you had a dream?" Piccolo asked, his arms folded in their trademarked position over his chest. The level of incredulity in the Namek's gruff voice wasn't lost on the withdrawn Krillin. 

"It's true," Krillin told the Namek, his voice devoid of all emotion. "Kami-sama can confirm it if you want."

"Huh. I wouldn't ask Kami to corroborate which direction the sun rises in," Piccolo grunted.

"Believe me or not about Namek, Piccolo, it won't stop Freezer's father from coming to Earth."

"I know you wouldn't make something like this up Krillin, but how exactly do you know about Namek and this King Kold guy?" Yamucha asked.

Krillin turned around to face his friends. 

"Kaiou…" Krillin paused and waited for the guardian's telepathic voice to stop him. The monk continued when the Guardian's voice didn't echo through his mind, "Kaiou-sama told me about Kold back on Namek." 

"On Namek… and you're just now telling us about it!" Yamucha exclaimed.

"I didn't understand what he'd shown me until now."

"When will King Kold get here, Krillin?" Gokou asked. 

"I don't know. Soon."

"Great. And with our luck, he's probably a hundred times stronger then Freezer was," Yamucha said shaking his head.

"Well, Krillin killed Freezer by himself so maybe we can take down King Kold together." Chou-zu offered.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Piccolo said.

Gokou took his eyes off Krillin and looked to the Namek. "What do you mean?"

"We're assuming King Kold is after the dragonballs. What if he just wants revenge? If so, then there's nothing stopping him from just blasting this planet to dust from space. We might not even get a chance to fight against him."

Gokou looked at Krillin, the expression on his face more serious then Krillin had ever seen it before. "I don't think that's going to be a problem, is it Krillin?"

Krillin shook his head and faced the ocean again.

Gokou was convinced Kami might have information the warriors would need to prepare, and Piccolo agreed begrudgingly. So the warriors set off for Kami's Lookout. Krillin almost didn't go with them. The monk wasn't sure he could face Kami's cold, unfeeling eyes again. He didn't want to.

"Hey Krillin," Yamucha flew up beside the smaller warrior as the six-man contingent flew through the sky. "You never did give us the whole story on how you sacked Freezer."

Krillin turned to the other man and noticed how much the ex-bandit had changed during the past year.

Yamucha had cut off most of his black, shaggy hair, leaving him with a short spiky hairstyle. Which did nothing to diminish the scars carved into his fairly handsome face. 

"I got lucky, Yamucha. That's all," Krillin said keeping his face neutral and his voice steady. No small feat considering all he wanted to do was scream until his lungs collapsed. 

"Yeah, you said that before, the day Tenshinhan and me got wished back. I want details this time."

Grinding his teeth together Krillin bit back the harsh words threatening to come out. 

"Later, Yamucha." Krillin managed to say civilly then boosted ahead until he was soaring next to Gokou and Piccolo.

Krillin wasn't angry with Yamucha. How could he be? Yamucha was just proud of him because he was the one who'd defeated Freezer. Krillin was the only person in the universe who regretted that Freezer died by his hand. But Krillin also was the only one who knew the price he was paying for acting out of character.

The Lookout was in ruins when they arrived.

Smoking craters dimpled the ground. Trees that once stood tall in the meticulously sculpted landscape tended by the jinn, Mr. Popo, were either up rooted or splintered in half, or both. The golden dome atop Kami's ivory temple was cracked, and many of the smaller buildings behind the temple had been reduced to burnt out shells.

The warriors surveyed the devastation while still in the air. Each searching for the ki of whomever attacked the Lookout.

"This happened recently. But I don't sense any power levels nearby. Not even Kami's," Gokou said.

"Obviously he's not dead," Piccolo added, sounding somewhat disappointed. "Since I'm not face down somewhere. Captured?"

"I can't see him running," Gokou nodded in agreement. "Let's go in for a closer look. Everybody stay sharp." Gokou ordered the human fighters.

Gokou and Piccolo made for the main temple while Krillin, Yamucha, Ten, and Chou-zu flew toward the few remaining undamaged structures on the Lookout. 

None of them reached their destination.

A small cloaked figure, smaller even then Krillin, stepped out of the temple. His face obscured by his cloak's hood. 

"Well, isn't this reminiscent," The shrouded figure, a man, said. His surprisingly deep voice dripping with sarcasm.

Both Piccolo and Gokou halted in their tracks, and appeared shaken by the man's words. When the mysterious fellow pulled back the hood of his pink robe, revealing his olive green complexion and impish features, Gokou and Piccolo lowered into fighting stances. Krillin thought the stranger sounded familiar, but the man didn't look like anyone he knew. 

"Garlic Jr.! I thought you were still rotting in that hell you created." Piccolo snarled.

Krillin started. 

_Oh, man, that's why I don't recognize this guy_! _I never saw Garlic when he was in that form. I only saw him after he transformed!_

"Oh, I was. But I got out. See?" Garlic Jr. replied, raising his small arms out to his sides. Sharp teeth showing as he grinned.

"Garlic Jr.? As in I'm immortal and I wanna take over the world, Garlic Jr.?" Yamucha asked.

"I'm afraid so," Krillin confirmed. 

"Great," Tenshinhan sighed.

Krillin, Yamucha, Ten and Chou-zu landed behind Piccolo and Gokou. Fully prepared to lend their support when the battle began. 

"What have you done to Kami?" Gokou wanted to know.

"Kami needed time off from the daunting task of being god. So I put him up someplace where he can relax," Garlic replied his lips turned up in a smirk. "But don't worry too much about Kami. You should be more concerned for yourselves." 

Garlic wasn't smiling anymore.

"I'll worry about not getting your blood all over my clothes, hell spawn!" Piccolo declared.

Garlic laughed, "Hell spawn? Look who's talking."

Gokou and Piccolo let out fierce battle cries and launched themselves at Garlic Jr. Garlic made no attempt to get out of their path. Soon, the reasons behind the immortal's display of fearlessness became apparent, when a pair of towering creatures materialized in front of Gokou and Piccolo. 

Both sentries wore armor that reminded Krillin of Saiyan-jin armor. Although the henchmen's armor didn't appear nearly as durable or hi tech as the world brokers' garb.

Another creature appeared behind Gokou and Piccolo. 

The new arrival was facing the four human warriors. He was of average height, about as tall as Gokou, and wore the same multi colored armor as the creatures guarding Garlic Jr. A gold cape draped down to the back of his knees. The top of the warrior's head was cover with spiked, snow-white hair. His skin had an olive green tint similar to Garlic Junior's. 

The white-haired warrior also shared similar facial features with Garlic Jr.—long, pointed ears, small, delicate pointed nose, sharp teeth. Indicating the two might have belonged to the same species. 

"My loyal subjects have arrived," Garlic Jr. announced.

"Big deal," Yamucha said. "In case you haven't noticed we still got you out numbered. Or did you forget how to count in that limbo of yours?"

"Not at all. In fact, I've already taken steps to see that the odds will lean more in my favor. Did you release my gift to the world?"

The crony wearing the cape and armor answered Garlic's query. "Yes, my lord. The Black Water Mist has completely blanketed the planet."

"And…?"

"Being delivered as we speak."

"Excellent. Now take care of these fools." Garlic Jr. commanded his followers with a wave of his hand, then turned and walked back into Kami's temple. A few seconds later the roof of the temple exploded outward as a spiny construct burst through its ceiling. By then the fighting had already begun.

The green skinned lackey powered up quickly and attacked Chou-zu first. His right leg catching the little telepath in the chest, which sent Chou-zu flying back a hundred feet. Almost knocking him off the Lookout. 

"Chou-zu!" Tenshinhan watched in horror as his friend sailed through the air, exposing himself to a punch to the jaw that sent him flying as well. 

Yamucha launched into a counter attack of kicks and punches, which their white-haired enemy blocked, but not without effort. Krillin was about to jump in to help, but observed that Yamucha was dealing with Garlic's henchman well enough on his own.

Instead, Krillin turned to see how Piccolo and Gokou's were fairing. 

Gokou was using the Zanzoken technique to gracefully dodge various blows from one of the henchman. Piccolo, however, wasn't being nearly as elegant as he fought his opponent. The Namek had broken through the henchman's defenses, and was mercilessly pummeling the creature into the ground. 

Piccolo eventually grabbed the henchman by the throat, tossed him into the sky and fired off a powerful beam of energy from the palm of his hand. Blasting the creature into nothingness.

Krillin, unneeded so far, maneuvered past the fighting and made his way towards Kami's temple. 

Garlic Jr. was inside the spacious house of god sitting on a black throne, and looked on in confusion and fury while his men were being routed.

"Things aren't going the way you expected, are they?" Krillin asked, standing in front of the demon prince. 

"I don't understand…how could they have become so strong?" Garlic seemed not to have heard Krillin's question at all. 

"The world went on without you Garlic. A lot has changed over the past couple of years. Almost everybody out there is powerful enough to blow up a planet. Where's Kami-sama?"

After a few moments Garlic acknowledged the monk. His eyes burning with hatred. Krillin felt the immortal's ki spike. But the monk had encountered far stronger, and didn't feel particularly threatened. While he was in his first form, Garlic wasn't very intimidating power level wise.

Just then an explosion rocked the Lookout, followed by a scream from one of Garlic's men. A ki signature disappeared. One more henchman left.

"They may have the ability to annihilate worlds, but they can never destroy me!" Garlic shouted his hands gripping the armrests on his throne. Krillin could hear whatever material the throne was made of crack under Garlic's grip.

"It doesn't have to come down to anyone destroying anybody else. Just release Kami-sama and stop whatever it is you're trying to do, and we'll leave you alone. In fact we could use your help when--"

Garlic flew at Krillin before the monk could finish his sentence. Garlic's ki aura was brilliant as he hurled himself at Krillin, swinging punches that Krillin blocked for a few seconds, before he found a way through the demon's attacks. Krillin kicked out with his right leg, the heel of his foot slamming into the immortal's mid section. 

Garlic let out a breathy oomph and went crashing back into the elaborate chair he'd created for himself.

"Y-you will die for that," Garlic gasped.

Krillin shook his head. "You don't get it, do you? You're too weak to hurt any of us. And even though we can't kill you, we can still hurt you. Your immortality doesn't mean anything if you don't have the power to back it up."

"I can back it up all right, but not to the likes of you!" Garlic sneered.

By now the fighting was over with outside and the others were behind Krillin watching the exchange between the two men. Garlic growled, beads of sweat moistening his spotted bald head, when he saw that he was the only member of his invasion force left.

"Give us Kami now or I'll tear your fucking head off, Garlic!" Piccolo said, his voice thick with violence.

Garlic smiled, reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, transparent pear shaped jar. The vial contained a miniaturized Kami who was pounding his tiny fists against the glass entrapping him.

"Here he is, Ma Junior. Come and get him if you think you can. But I warn you. I might 'accidentally' smash this bottle and your precious Kami-sama along with it before you take a single step in my direct--"

Before the last word came out of his mouth, the jar containing the Kami of Earth was gone from Garlic's grasp and held securely Gokou's. The Saiyan then broke the top of the vial away with his thumb, and tossed the container onto the ground. After a poof of compressed air and smoke, Kami-sama stood restored among his rescuers.

"You can't be that fast!" Garlic Jr. exclaimed staring from his now empty hand to the freed Kami.

"You think that's quick, Garlic? Watch how fast I rip you apart!" Piccolo announced and leaped at the immortal.

A blur appeared in front of the charging Namek, and a thunderous blow struck him.

Before Garlic stood two small figures. One was dressed in the same armor as the other three henchmen. The other wore a purple gi similar to Piccolo's. He had bushy, jet-black hair, and his formerly innocent face was distorted into one of gleeful malice. Sharp, elongated fangs showed and his eyes, once as dark as his hair, now glowed red.

"Gohan!" Gokou cried out.

In response, Son Gohan snarled at his father. 

Gohan clutched the purple material of the Piccolo's gi. The Namek hung limply in the boy's hands, groaning and dazed as tendrils of maroon blood ran down his left cheek. Somehow Piccolo's white and purple turban remained atop his head though his head was tilted at an awkward angle. 

Piccolo's neck was obviously broken.

"What was it you were saying about backing it up, little man?" Garlic asked Krillin, laughing maniacally as Gohan began powering up. 

Gohan's ki began rising higher then ever before. His small, uncommonly muscular body electrified with raw energy. His ebony locks spiking upwards, and undulated with the flames of his white-hot ki aura.

__

"What did you do to my son?" Krillin and the other fighters stepped away from the Saiyan-jin as his aura flamed to life. The fury radiating from Gokou was almost as tangible as his ki.

"Only what I've done to every other creature on Earth. The Black Water Mist has turned him into a demon. It is quite amazing really. This boy possesses staggering power and the corrupting Mist has not only made your son my slave, but has magnified his anger and innate strength!" Garlic said appraising his new servant with barely suppressed mirth.

"Undo it." Gokou said his voice so low you could hardly hear him. Krillin backed even further away from his oldest friend. The only time the monk was ever afraid of Gokou was when that soft, dangerous tone colored Gokou's voice. That voice meant the Saiyan was deadly serious.

"Gokou, only the Holy Water below my temple can reverse the evil Garlic Junior's mist has done!" Kami spoke up.

"Are you still alive?" Garlic asked the Kami with an annoyed scowl on his deceptively child-like face, "Kill Piccolo my servant."

Gohan let Piccolo's limp, but apparently vital body, slip to the ground. The possessed boy then held out a glowing hand and aimed it at the Namek's head. The boy's eyes retained none of the love he felt for his former sensei, just a feral, sanguine gleam. 

Before anyone could react Gohan disappeared and so had Gokou. 

Shock waves of energy soon filled the Temple as father and son exchanged blows. Both were moving too fast for anyone to see. Only the thunderclap of fists and kicks impacting flesh indicated there was a tragic battle going on above their heads.

Krillin stopped following the battle and glared at Garlic who was smirking with satisfaction at what his Mist had wrought. Piccolo stirred, catching the monk's eye, the Namek's body was glowing dimly. Garlic and his remaining henchman hadn't noticed yet. Quickly, Krillin turned to his allies.

"We need to get Piccolo and Kami-sama out of here before Garlic and his goon goes after them."

"Please come with me Kami-sama," Chou-zu grabbed Kami and started to fly the god out of the Temple.

"Wait! I cannot leave the temple! The way to the Holy Water lies within!" Kami declared.

"If you die no one else will be able to find the Holy Water. We'll worry about getting the water after you and Piccolo are out of harms way," Krillin told the god.

Kami let Chou-zu carry him outside.

"I'll take Garlic," Tenshinhan said when the telepath and god were gone.

"I get the other shrimp," Yamucha said then looked sideways at Krillin. "No offense."

"Bite me, loser. I'll get Piccolo out then come back and help."

Yamucha and Ten hurled themselves at their targets, catching Garlic and the red-faced henchman off guard. Krillin rushed over to Piccolo and carefully cradled the green man's head as he picked him up, just in case the Namek's neck was broken. That thin layer of light still surrounded Piccolo, his ki rising and falling at regular intervals. Krillin had felt Piccolo's power do that once before back when the Namek regenerated his arm after the fight with Radditz. Setting Piccolo down in front of Kami-sama and Chou-zu, who was standing guard over the god, Krillin hurried back toward the Temple.

Just as he reached the entrance Tenshinhan collided with him. The bigger man landed on top of Krillin, forcing the air from his lungs. Krillin had cushioned the Triclops' fall, so Tenshinhan was able to leap off the monk and onto his feet completely unhurt.

"Why just me?" Krillin groaned lying flat on his back, trying to pull some oxygen back into his body.

A bright light flashed inside Kami's Temple and Yamucha yelled as he was pushed out on a beam of energy.

"Yamucha! Damn!" Ten cursed watching Yamucha fall off the Lookout.

"What happened?" Krillin asked sensing a power level increase dramatically.

"Garlic transformed."

Garlic stepped out of the Temple. The demon wasn't wearing his fine robes and cape anymore; they no longer fit him. Garlic had grown eight feet, his bare upper body bulging with muscles. Garlic now wore dark, grayish pants three sizes too small for him, held up by an ordinary piece of rope tied around his waist.

His skin was darker now. His smooth, olive green complexion had changed to a deep shadowy green that appeared rougher and more wrinkled. This was the Garlic Jr. Krillin remembered.

Krillin flipped onto his feet and into a stance beside Tenshinhan and at that moment the top of the Temple disintegrated. A huge sphere of energy surrounded Gokou and Gohan as the Saiyans clashed. And to Krillin's dismay, it looked like Gokou was losing. 

Tenshinhan noticed how badly it was going for Gokou as well.

"Do you feel how huge that kid's power is?" The Triclops asked without taking his eyes off Garlic.

"Yeah. I'm not surprised though. You should have seen Gohan on Namek, whenever he gets angry his ki goes sky high. But I've never seen him stay mad for very long. Garlic was telling the truth when he said the Mist is keeping Gohan raging."

"Why would I lie?" Garlic asked walking belligerently up to Krillin and Ten. "Let me let you in on another secret. How long do you think the boy can keep up that level of intensity?" Garlic laughed briefly, "Not long. Soon his body will explode. Taking you, his Father, and Kami's Lookout with him."

Krillin knew the demon was right. Gohan was going to die if he wasn't cured. They had to take Garlic now.

Apparently, Tenshinhan was in perfect agreement. The Triclops had launched himself at Garlic in tandem with Krillin. The monk came in low, attacking Garlic's midsection with a series of kicks, going for quick damage. Most of his blows landed because Garlic had his hands full with Tenshinhan. 

Then Krillin concentrated power around his right fist and buried a devastating jab into Garlic's belly, doubling the demon prince over. Ten followed up Krillin's attack and brought his knee up into the giant's face.

Garlic's head snapped back, a dark spray of blood flying from his mouth. Ten materialized behind the giant, kicking Garlic in the back of his head, sending him forward. Krillin clasped his hands together in a two-handed fist and swung upward, striking Garlic under the chin.

As Garlic went flying into the air Krillin felt a presence behind him and knew right away that it was Garlic's last remaining henchman. The ki couldn't belong to anyone else. Krillin also knew it was too late to avoid the oncoming attack.

"Gaakk!"

Krillin turned around and saw a healed Piccolo with his hand around the henchman's neck. A second later Krillin heard a distinctive "snap" and Piccolo dropped the red-faced creature to the ground.

"P-Piccolo, are you all right?"

The Namek-jin aimed a searing glare at the monk, "What happened to Gohan?"

Krillin stuttered out what Garlic had told them and was relieved when Piccolo turned that scowl away from him. 

"Krillin," Piccolo said after taking off his turban and cape, the dense clothing hitting the ground with thuds.

"Y-yeah, Piccolo?"

"Get Kami back inside the temple, then get back out here. We're going to need you. Timing will be everything."

"S-sure, Piccolo,"

The Namek-jin took to the air flying toward Gokou and Gohan. Krillin went over to Kami-sama and Chou-zu. "Kami-sama I'm going to take you—."

"I know Krillin. But we must wait for my assistant Mr. Popo."

"What? Why?"

"Only he will know what to do if I… if I am incapacitated."

"I'm sorry Kami-sama, but we don't have the time to wait for Mr. Popo!" Krillin exclaimed.

"Do not worry, he'll be here soon."

Son wasn't using his full power and was losing because of it. It was only the Saiyan's longer combat experience that kept him alive against the possessed child. Gokou was determined not to harm his son.

Piccolo, however, held no such inhibitions.

"Gohan… son… please stop, this isn't who you are!" Son pleaded blocking one punch, but caught one in the gut a second later.

Piccolo watched as Gohan pulled off a brutal combination on his father once Son's defenses went down, staggering the Saiyan. Piccolo recognized the moves. He'd taught them to the boy himself. Piccolo allowed himself a glimmering of a smile before vanishing…

He reappeared between Gokou and Gohan, fending off his former student's attacks, which were meant for the boy's father. Piccolo's interference only enraged the boy further. Gohan roared and his fists began swinging too fast for Piccolo to block. One impacted his chest, caving in his ribcage. Piccolo gritted his teeth in pain, uncertain rather or not the bewitched boy had broken any ribs, the pain was so intense.

Piccolo retaliated and backhanded Gohan, causing the boy's head whip to the side. Seeing an opening, Piccolo exploited it. He grabbed Gohan's arm and threw the boy headfirst at the Lookout's floor. Gohan rocketed toward ground only to flip at the last moment and land on his feet.

Piccolo saw the boy cock his head up and grin at him. Staring into the pitiless black holes that had become Gohan's eyes, Piccolo felt Gohan's ki rise even higher. He was stronger then Piccolo now.

The boy brought his hands up above his head and growled out his primary ki attack. "Maaaa… Sennn…"

As the ki charged in Gohan's hands the Namek knew there was no way to block or deflect it.

"Where has Gohan gotten all this power from?" 

"Piccolo," Gokou floated weakly over to Piccolo.

"Son, you have to go full out now. Gohan's too strong. He'll kill us all."

"I won't hurt my son, Piccolo! This is not his fault!"

**"Kooo!"** The energy wave tore through the air at the two warriors. Gokou moved in front of Piccolo the Saiyan's body aflame in a red aura.

****

"Kaio-Ken times ten!"

The beam struck Gokou straight on, his energized body shielding Piccolo from the blast. 

Piccolo flew from behind Gokou and came in at Gohan in an arch hoping to blind-side the boy. Just when Piccolo was moments away from tackling him, Gohan turned his head and removed a hand from his Masenko beam and placed his fore and middle finger to his forehead. Then he fired off a perfect Makankosappo. 

Piccolo wasn't able to veer away in time.

Mr. Popo arrived on his flying carpet and carried Kami-sama into the Temple. Krillin made to follow the pair but Kami-sama stopped him. "You cannot come with us. The way is forbidden to mortals."

Krillin tried to protest but the god and his assistant sped away before he could. Thinking a few unspoken curses, Krillin returned his attention to the two battles above the Lookout.

The Sons were locked in a ki battle; Gokou's Kaio-ken against Gohan's power beam. Krillin didn't see Piccolo anywhere. And couldn't sense the Namek's ki signature either.

Garlic Jr. batted Ten to the ground. The three-eyed man's bulky body imprinting a human shaped hole in the tiled floor. Ten wasn't moving, but he was still alive. 

Chou-zu flew to him before Krillin, who'd already anticipated Garlic's next attack, could utter a warning. The giant fired a ki beam down at Tenshinhan, swallowing both the Triclops and Chou-zu in its detonation. Garlic floated down in front of Krillin, blocking the monk's view of the resulting dust and debris plume.

"Don't I owe you pain, little man?"

Krillin could feel Garlic's ki raising steadily, invisible waves of dark energy pounded against him, like a huge hand doing compressions on his chest.

"You're getting stronger. H-how?" He asked breathlessly.

Garlic's lips curved up in a self-satisfied smirk. "Look behind you."

"Please… like I'm going… to fall for that!" the monk managed to choke out.

Garlic shrugged and then a fist slammed into Krillin face. Tumbling backward through the air, Krillin marveled at Garlic's speed. He hadn't even seen a flicker of the giant motions. 

__

Its times like these I'm glad I don't have a nose. It'd be broken for sure!

Krillin performed a blind Zanzoken hoping to buy time before Garlic's next assault. But when he reappeared, it was like Garlic had been waiting for him and Krillin couldn't avoid the kick Garlic delivered. Garlic's lower leg bashed into his Krillin's kidney, sending an electric agony through the monk's midsection. Krillin screamed, but the howl was cut off when Garlic grabbed him by the throat and squeezed. Bursting the blood vessels in Krillin's eyes.

Strangulation wasn't Garlic's objective. The demon's ham-like fist started pounding into Krillin's face in rapid secession and it didn't take long for Krillin's face to go numb. For which he was grateful right up until his left eye ruptured with a sickening squelching sound. Krillin screamed, or thought he did, when the sight in his eye went out like a light bulb. He lost track of how many times he was struck after that and was only partially aware when the blows ceased. 

"My, look at the mess I made," Garlic said. Krillin vaguely felt a hand brushed back and forth over his chest, and wetness, warm and sticky seep through his gi top. When Garlic let go of him, the monk felt the whoosh of air for a few seconds before he hit the ground, jarring every bone in his body.

Piccolo was miles away before he overcame the force of the Makankosappo. He had barely blocked the beam with both of his hands, and he knew he was only able to because Gohan couldn't put enough energy into it. The callused green skin on his right palm was smoking and sizzling at any rate, charred black.

Piccolo gathered some raw molecules from the air and transmuted them into a long, white strip of gauze-like material. He hastily wrapped the bandage around his injured hand. Not wanting to take the time or energy to heal his hand. 

Piccolo examined his dressed hand, quickly flexing it to see how much dexterity was left—there wasn't much—before he shot off toward Kami's Lookout.

Things were not going well for his comrades when he reached the celestial haven. Gokou was on the run from Gohan, who was stalking his father with a hunter's determination. Krillin, Tenshinhan and Chou-zu lie unmoving on the ground. The Triclops and his companion sprawled next to each other, the monk lying twenty meters away from them. Garlic Jr. hovered above Krillin in his transformed state watching the Saiyans.

The Namek could sense two weak, but steady ki's coming from Ten and Chou-zu, but Krillin's was fading fast. Even from a distance, Piccolo could see the blood pumping out of the wound in the monk's face, right where his eye would be. The crimson liquid pooling around his shaven head.

Krillin was close to bleeding out.

Piccolo made a decision. 

Son was going to have to survive a little while longer on his own. 

Piccolo pushed his ki level down and coasted in under Garlic.

The smell of Krillin's blood assailed Piccolo's nostrils when he knelt down beside the monk's unconscious form. The vibrant red liquid bubbled out thick and slow from the hole where Krillin's eye used to be as it started to clot and congeal in the laceration. Piccolo created another gauze strip from thin air and began bandaging Krillin's head until the entire left side of his face was covered. 

The cloth was already saturating with plasma by the time Piccolo finished, but otherwise the gauze had stopped the worst the monk's bleeding.

Piccolo stood up and returned his attention to Garlic, who'd missed the ministrations performed on Krillin. The giant had his back to the Namek, engrossed with the battle between Gohan and Gokou. With his arms out stretched, Piccolo flew at Garlic and slammed into Garlic's exposed back. 

Piccolo heard a very satisfying crack as the demon's spine yielded and crumbled under his blow.

"Music to my ears." Piccolo mumbled as Garlic let out an agonized cry. 

Maintaining his forward momentum, Piccolo pushed Garlic upward with his fists. When the Lookout was nothing more then a speck below them, Piccolo pulled away from the giant letting him free fall for a moment while he charged up big ki blast.

"Let's see how immortal you are in space…" Piccolo said, then fired into the small of Garlic's back.

Piccolo kept feeding the beam until he was certain the giant was past Earth's upper atmosphere and past the Earth's gravitational field.

It was the last thing he should have done.

The giant star Makyou-sei awaited.

There was no atmosphere in the Dead Zone and it was always ice cold within its limitless confines, so Garlic Jr. was right at home in the vacuum of space. The otherworldly demon smiled at the blue-green and white planet below him, waiting for the Makyou-sei to make its final approach into orbit around the Earth. _Piccolo is a fool for throwing me into this most comfortable void, but what could one expect from the spawn of Kami? When the Makyou-sei reaches its apogee, I will reopen the Dead Zone and release a true Hell upon the Earth. And then all that stood in my way will kneel before me… or die!_

Gokou lie on the ground, battered bloody. Gohan's was pressing his knee against Gokou's broad chest, giggling insanely as he pummeled the older Saiyan's head into the tile, which cracked under the force of the younger Saiyan's blows. Gokou's will to defend himself had all but vanished.

To Gokou's credit, he did not permit a single cry of pain to escape his lips, just repeated Gohan's name again and again.

Piccolo was never one to hesitate; he'd always been able to make spilt second decisions during even the most heated battles. And he was rarely wrong. Yet, as he beheld Gohan, the Namek didn't know what to do. Gohan bled profusely from a dozen lesions that had spontaneously appeared all over his arms, and probably the rest of his body, after his muscles swelled with an enormous amount of ki. Ki the boy's small frame could not contain naturally. 

Piccolo's original intention had been to land a surgical blow to the base of Gohan's skull and knock him out. But the Namek saw now that anything he did to Gohan might inadvertently kill the boy. Gokou's pleas' stopped. The choice was taken away from him.

Piccolo raised his left hand until it was above his right shoulder and chopped down… His hand passed right through Gohan neck. Piccolo was only allowed a moment of confusion before he crumpled to the ground, every molecule in his body on fire as he started to fade from existence.

"Shit Krillin," The young monk heard Yamucha say.

Krillin opened his right eye—for some reason the other one wasn't obeying him. His vision was red and blurry; it looked like Yamucha was floating in a tank of cherry soda. _And Kami does my eye itch_, Krillin thought.

"Don't do that!" the scarred warrior exclaimed when Krillin reached up to rub his palm over his left eye.

Remembering, Krillin quickly moved his hand away, and instead felt along the left side of his head. The cloth bandage felt rather soft under his fingertips and was too tight around his face. _But I guess I shouldn't be complaining._

"Thanks Yamucha,"

"For what?"

"This," Krillin answered pointing at the bandage.

"I didn't put that on ya. I think Piccolo did. Looks like the stuff his cape is made of."

"Oh. Help me up."

Krillin held out a hand and Yamucha pulled the small monk onto his feet. Krillin promptly fell back to the ground, clutching his head in agony. It felt like someone slid an ice pick straight through his eyeball, and twisted it around in his brain for good measure.

"Uh, maybe you should rest there for a while, Krill."

"N-no…" Krillin whispered shivering as the pain slowly subsided. "I can… handle it."

He tried standing again, moaned pitifully, then passed out.

Yamucha picked up the monk and carried him over to Ten and Chou-zu. The pair had come to just as Yamucha was returning to the Lookout. Krillin hung limply in Yamucha's arms breathing shallowly, sweat drenching his skin and soaking through his gi. Yamucha was afraid infection had already gotten into the wound, either that or Krillin was going into some kind of shock.

"Oh no!" Chou-zu exclaimed after Piccolo fell to the ground behind Gohan and started to dim. 

Gohan got off of Gokou and stepped to Piccolo. The boy looked down at the vulnerable Namek and a strange, chilling smile spread across his mutilated face. Then he turned to the three remaining warriors and headed towards them. His smile widening into a death's head grin.

"His face, what's wrong with his face?" Chou-zu asked. 

The skin on Gohan's face was split open with dozens of deep cuts that were laid open to the bone. And they grew more severe the larger his smile became.

Yamucha carefully put Krillin on the ground behind trio, then they each took uncertain stances. 

"What are we supposed to do? Gohan looks like he's about to fall apart, but his ki is still higher then all of ours put together." Tenshinhan observed his deep voice amazingly calm. 

"We just have to hold out until Kami-sama brings that Holy Water he was talking about." Yamucha said.

"But something's happened to Kami-sama. You saw Piccolo, he dropped for no reason!"

"He's not dead though,"

"Yet."

"Right, I'm talking to mister pessimist. Come on Ten, think positive!"

Gohan took two big running steps and attacked the trio.

Half his head was made of unfeeling stone. The chill air of the Lookout's high altitude was real against the naked side of his face, but the bandaged side had all the sensation of a very heavy rock. Krillin tried to turn his head to the sound of fighting, but the muscles in his neck weren't up to the task.

His senses told him it was Gohan that Yamucha, Ten, and Chou-zu were fighting. And though the half Saiyan's power was still high and unstable, it appeared to have peaked. 

_Gohan's ki boiling like a pressure cooker. He's so close. His body can't take much more!_ Krillin thought frantically. 

Tightening the muscles in his abdomen, Krillin sat up. He did it too quickly, and his skull exploded. Bile rushed up his throat. 

Krillin's coughed and spat the acrid liquid out of his mouth, the bile spattering the ground between his legs. His esophagus burned, and the sour smell made him feel nauseous all over again. Krillin scrambled backward away from the fetid pool and got shakily onto his feet.

He wobbled but willed himself to stay on his feet this time. He wiped away the sweat trying to get into his one good eye then turned to the battle. Krillin couldn't see anything at first, except the clashing of ki. It was difficult for him to focus his mind enough to follow the fast moving powers darting back and forth over the Lookout. Sometimes Ten, Yamucha, or Chou-zu were slowed by Gohan's blows, but Krillin would lose track of them again when they bravely re-entered to fight.

__

I'm useless right now. I can barely stand much less fight. Not that fighting Gohan is going to solve any… of course! 

Krillin made his way to the very edge of the Lookout. Then he took a deep breath and fell off. He let gravity have its way until he saw Karin's tower, which hung right below Kami's Lookout connected by a thin stone umbilical. 

Krillin utilized his Bu Kuu ability as gently as possible when he was half way to his destination, but it still hurt his head. When he was only a few feet away from the stone banister surrounding the turret, Krillin desperately grappled for the hand rest before the pain became too unbearable for him to fly. His head aching, Krillin pulled himself over the railing and landed hard on the floor.

Krillin lie there on his back, his chest rising and falling deeply, and he wanted nothing more then to just fall asleep.

"Krillin," He heard a gentle, deep voice call his name. The monk managed to turn his head and saw a cat with snow-white fur walk towards him using a wooden cane. Behind him was a short, pudgy man with frazzled black hair wearing a red robe-like gi. A katana was sheath at his ample waist.

"Karin-sama, Yajirobi… I need… magic beans. Garlic Jr. is … trying to take over again… possessed Gohan…"

"Oh, gross! He's bleeding all over the floor!" Yajirobi said making a face.

"Yajirobi there are several ripened senzu in the garden, please get them for me?" Karin asked the swordsman. "Krillin my boy, now what is this about Garlic Jr.?"

"He's back somehow… and he's possessed Gohan and everybody on Earth. We're really getting thrashed up there."

"Up there?"

"The Lookout."

"Here you go, Karin," Yajirobi came up and handed the cat a small brown pouch. Karin took the bag, opened it and took out a greenish bean.

Karin put the senzu to the monk's mouth; Krillin parted his lips and ate the bean. Chewing the senzu, Krillin tasted its sweetness on his tongue when it disintegrated in his month. A warm energy poured down his throat as he swallowed the beans' remains. 

Krillin instantly felt his strength return and his injuries vanish in an euphoric burst of healing. His left eye reformed underneath the bandage and his head in general felt lighter and clearer. And his uninjured eye saw the world without the violent red haze. His left kidney, which had been bruised and bleeding internally, no longer throbbed in his side. Krillin sat up.

"Thank you, Karin-sama!" 

Karin handed the bag of magic beans to Krillin. "Double thanks! You too, Yajirobi!"

"Yeah, yeah, stop grinning like an idiot and go save the world already!" Yajirobi scoffed, waving away Krillin's thanks.

"Yes, and good luck my son," Karin added.

"Right." Krillin tied the bag to his belt then ripped the blood-drenched gauze from around his head. The monk jumped off Karin's tower and sped back to Kami's palace.

"Why did you act like you didn't know about Garlic Jr. and the Mist, Karin?" Yajirobi asked as the pair watched Krillin leave.

"He might be suspicious of me later if he thinks I have a greater awareness of certain events."

Yajirobi looked at his mentor, "What do you mean?"

Karin turned away from the banister and retreated into the back compartments in his turret.

"Krillin will need to trust someone once he learns the truth."

Yajirobi was completely confused. But then Karin had always been rather cryptic. "And what truth is that, Karin?"

"That even gods can be cruel." The cat replied as he disappeared into the depths of his tower.


	4. The Kill: Constructive Uses, Giving Back...

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dragonball-Z, not really sure who does either. It'd be a shame if people I don't know sued me. J v

THE KILL

By Jacob M. Bosch

CHAPTER 4: Constructive Uses, Giving Back, and Revenge

Laughing madly, Gohan stomped on Yamucha's right leg just below his groin. Krillin heard the bone snap with a dull crunch. Then the boy cut off the warrior's scream by whacking the ex-bandit across the face. Yamucha fell unconscious to the ground, his jaw broken and his cheekbone shattered. 

Next, Gohan went over to the unmoving Tenshinhan who lie face down on the tiled floor. His long green over coat was burned away in back. Gohan grabbed the hefty warrior by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up half way off the ground. Krillin's face scrunched up in sympathy when the possessed boy began repeatedly pounding Tenshinhan's face into the floor. Gohan never stopped laughing. 

Krillin watched sickened as Gohan abandoned Ten after a dozen more bashes and moved on to Chou-zu who also lay insentient on the ground.

This was the worse possible situation, Krillin thought while peeking over the edge of the Lookout. He'd hoped that at least one of his friends would be able to distract Gohan while he healed the others. But everybody was out of it; if he tried to help one of them with the senzu now, Gohan would be all over him.

_Krillin!_

_Gokou! Oh, man, am I glad to hear you! I've got magic beans but I can't get to anyone!_

…

Gokou?

… Okay… be ready.

Huh? 

Krillin's gaze found Gokou as the Saiyan struggled to push himself up from his back with one arm, while he cradled the other in his lap. His face was bruised raw, almost beyond recognition. And Gokou's usually spiky hair hung limp, damp with perspiration. Krillin watched in awe as his oldest friend managed to rise unwaveringly to his feet.

Gohan was grinding his heel into Chou-zu's spine when Gokou called out his name. Gohan removed his foot from Chou-zu's back and faced his father. The older Saiyan's expression was hardened, but Krillin could see the sorrow in Gokou's obsidian eyes.

Gohan and Gokou powered up simultaneously, their ki's levitating small rocks and pulverized tile particles off the ground. Gohan's ki was higher then Gokou's, but wilder. Less focused then it had been when the battle first began.

"I'm sorry, Gohan." Krillin heard Gokou say just before he flew at the boy.

Krillin averted his eyes. He had no desire to witness what Gokou had to do to give him this opportunity. The monk flew all the way onto the Lookout and ran to Yamucha. Kneeling beside the injured warrior, Krillin took a senzu out of the pouch. 

"Yamucha!"

The scarred man groaned but didn't stir to full consciousness. Krillin put the bean to Yamucha's lips much the same way Karin had done to him earlier, and forced the senzu into Yamucha's mouth. Hoping that just the taste of the magic bean would heal Yamucha's broken jaw enough so he could eat it.

Yamucha opened his eyes a little, "Chew the bean, hurry!"

When Krillin saw Yamucha start to munch on the senzu, he quickly made his way to Ten. The Triclops was easier to revive and was on his feet moments after Yamucha. Chou-zu was revived promptly as well, despite a pulverized spine.

Krillin went over to Piccolo and tried to give the Namek a bean.

"No… Kami is dying… senzu won't work…"

Krillin turned away from Piccolo's evaporating form. Bewildered and disturbed by how badly he didn't want the Namek to die. That at some point he'd started to consider the reformed demon a friend.

Krillin joined Yamucha and the others. And after watching the two Saiyans battle for a time, Krillin decided he couldn't stand by any longer. "We have to help Gokou."

"How? They're way out of our league," Yamucha said.

"No, they're not—at least not completely. Gohan is strong but he doesn't have our experience. All we need to do is find an opening and…"

"I don't know. We might get in the way of whatever Gokou's got planned."

"Yamucha, Gokou doesn't have a plan! He's just fighting Gohan to stop him from coming after us," Krillin stated then tied the pouch with the senzu seeds to his belt. "But I do have one."

Yamucha and Krillin flew towards the two battling Saiyans, and flanked Gohan. Both warriors began powering up in a flashy manner, attracting Gohan's attention away from his father.

"Krillin, Yamucha, what are you doing?" Gokou asked halting his own attack. Neither of the humans responded.

_Don't hurt my son_, Gokou telepathically warned the two.

Krillin got into position to prepare a Kamehameha wave, while Yamucha readied a Soukidan.

Krillin and the scarred warrior briefly made eye contact. 

Yamucha launched his attack first. Two small spheres of ki sped toward Gohan and he dodged them easily. Yamucha quickly made gestures with his arms and the ki balls changed course and followed Gohan. The boy avoided them once more. Yamucha moved his arms faster and faster, causing the spheres to speed up as well.

Soon, Gohan was caught in the mists of zigzagging ki and he snarled with frustration. Krillin added to the boy's ire when he started gathering energy in his hands. "Kame-hame-ha!"

Gohan blurred as the wave streaked his way. Krillin pulled his arms to his chest and redirected the beam. Yamucha also gestured so that his ki spheres altered course again. The attacks chased Gohan, who'd re-materialized higher above the Lookout. Krillin suddenly cut off his attack, the Kamehameha dissipating without Krillin's will to guide and feed it, and flew over to Gokou as Yamucha continued to occupy Gohan with the Soukidan.

Krillin gave the Saiyan a seed.

_Krillin! Gohan sees what you're doing!_ Tenshinhan's mental voice rang through Krillin's mind.

Gohan batted the Soukidan spheres away, breaking Yamucha's control over them. Yamucha let them go and covered his eyes with his right forearm just as Ten joined Krillin in the air. 

"Close your eyes, Gokou!" Krillin said quickly before he and Ten placed their hands to either side of their foreheads and shouted together:

"**Taiyoken**!" 

And two blinding flashes of light drowned the sky. 

Krillin waited several seconds until the most intense cycle of the blinding attacks subsided before he opened his eyes into squints. He saw Gohan hovering several meters away clawing at his face, damaging his already ravaged skin even further. _Oh, Kami! **Now!**_

Tenshinhan and Chou-zu hastily flew over to Gohan and placed their hands on the boy's head. Letting out a short-lived howl, Gohan's whole body jerked violently, and then went slack. Ten was waiting to catch the boy before he tumbled out of the sky.

When Gokou went flying over to Ten and the unconscious Gohan, Krillin closed his eyes, and let out a quiet sigh of relief. 

He floated down to the surface of the Lookout, gravel digging into the soles of his bare feet as he touched down. He thanked Kami. A being he wasn't feeling a great deal of faith in for letting his plan work as well as it did.

Gokou landed next to Krillin moments later, cradling Gohan in his arms. The boy's breathing was shallow but steady. And now that he was out cold, the rips and gashes in his face seemed less severe. Krillin could almost see the real Gohan.

Krillin reached out and brushed his fingertips against Gohan's face where his jaw line met his ear, one of the few places on Gohan's face left unscathed by lacerations. He'd never envied Gokou anything, not seriously, but he envied Gokou having Gohan. Krillin always dreamed of having children, and the sense of family that came with them. Krillin never thought of Gohan as a son; they were more like best friends, almost as close as he and Gokou were. But Krillin knew if given a choice he'd be proud to have a child just like the young half Saiyan.

"Thank you for saving my son," Gokou told the monk. Krillin took his hand away from Gohan's skin and looked up at the boy's father. 

Gokou's smile was small, but his eyes were wide and bright.

Ten, Yamucha, and Chou-zu joined them on the ground.

"…And mister we're all doomed over here, was like, 'What are we supposed to do? Gohan's ki is bigger then all of ours!' and I was like, 'We can do it!' **I** never had a doubt!" Yamucha was saying as they landed behind Gokou.

Tenshinhan rolled all three eyes up to a god who was actually below him, then smiled. Chou-zu started giggling.

"What's so funny?" Yamucha asked the pair suspiciously.

"Nothing Yamucha," Tenshinhan and Chou-zu answered together.

"Hey! You're making fun of me telepathically!"

Chou-zu giggled even harder.

"How delightful," Garlic Jr. bellowed as a shadow blanketed the Lookout. "To see that you have embraced the end of your world with such gladness in your hearts." 

The Earth warriors whirled around and saw the giant form of Garlic floating in the air. And behind the demon was a huge red and green planet in orbit over the Earth.

"Where the Hell did that come from!" Yamucha shouted.

"_Garlic_." Gokou turned to Tenshinhan and handed the small, limp form of Gohan to the Triclops. The Saiyan blurred and was level in the sky with Garlic Jr. 

"Now who's not getting it—don't you fools understand? I cannot be destroyed! I am a god!" Garlic proclaimed.

"You're not even close." Gokou said.

"Perhaps not in this world. But in the Dead Zone I will be!" Garlic spread his arms wide apart and unleashed a torrent of blue energy that didn't feel like any kind of ki Yamucha, Ten, or Chou-zu had experienced before. 

But Krillin and Gokou had. Garlic was opening a portal to the Dead Zone.

"Get Gohan and Piccolo into the temple!" Gokou yelled to the warriors on the ground. Chou-zu and Tenshinhan ran with Gohan into Kami's damaged Temple. Yamucha and Krillin hurried over to Piccolo, and right away had trouble trying to pick up the Namek. They would gain purchase of Piccolo's arms only to have his limbs phase through their hands.

"No use… Forget it, just protect Gohan." Piccolo told the humans.

"No way, Piccolo! Garlic's about to open the Dead Zone! And you know what happens then," Krillin said as he and Yamucha managed to drag the brawny Namek a few feet before Piccolo dissolved out of their grips again.

"I said forget it!" Piccolo commanded more forcefully, pushing Yamucha and Krillin away from him. The two humans fell back, surprised by the strength in the Namek's shove. "Huh?" Piccolo grunted and stood up, his body steadily becoming more solid. 

Standing at full height, Piccolo was completely material.

"Kami." Piccolo said simply.

Krillin and Yamucha raised their arms to protect their faces when Piccolo's aura flared into the visible spectrum and he shot into the air. Krillin started running for the safety the temple offered and was a few feet from the entrance before he noticed Yamucha wasn't following him. 

"Yamucha, what are you waiting for?"

The ex-bandit eyebrows were furrowed and he looked quizzically up at Piccolo. 

"I was just wondering why Piccolo didn't fall through the Lookout. You know, when he was intangible?" 

"Yamucha, this is really a bad time! Come on!" Krillin shouted.

Kami and Mr. Popo arrived on the Mr. Popo's flying carpet moments after Krillin and Yamucha entered the Temple. The God of Earth was clutching a multi colored jar under his left arm. His purple cape and white robe was smoking and reeked of sulfur.

"Kami, thank…well …You!" Yamucha exclaimed after seeing the elderly Namek.

"Is that the Holy Water?" Krillin asked indicating the jar.

Kami knodded and leaped with remarkable vigor from the flying carpet and walked over to the group. The warriors were bunched around Gohan's unconscious form, shielding the boy from the occasional falling rubble bombing from the Temple's roof. 

"Mr. Popo has already dispersed the Holy Water to the rest of the planet," Kami said. 

The god motioned the warriors' aside and knelt beside Gohan. Then Kami opened the jar and slid a hand under the boy's head, propping it up. Tendrils of vapor rose from the brim of the jar as several drops of clear liquid doused Gohan's lips.

Krillin watched warily, some part of him was certain the water wouldn't work. 

Gohan opened his eyes, showing that his irises were back to their normal obsidian hue. Everyone present relaxed upon seeing this but the period of relief was short lived however, because an instant later the boy started howling like mad.

Gohan was screeching in pain, Krillin realized in alarm. And in that instance the monk understood what was happening to Gohan. The possession must have put the boy's body through a colossal strain. And every muscle Gohan had had been overtaxed with ki. So much so that even his skin had been shredded under the stress.

The monk hurriedly took out another senzu, but before he could put the seed to the boy's mouth, Gohan fell silent.

"Oh, my God!" Chou-zu whispered. "He's dead."

Piccolo had to put conscious effort into holding his place in the air as Gokou began powering up. Piccolo knew Gokou was strong, but the erstwhile demon had no idea how much stronger the Saiyan had become since their battle with Radditz. Gokou's ki aura blazed, its red radiance pouring out ki exponentially, to the point that the sheer force of Gokou's power smothered Piccolo's senses.

_He must be using the Kaio-ken attack Kaiou taught him at full force. With that kind of prowess he could have easily overcome Gohan!_ Piccolo thought astounded.

A black rift, which opened into the Dead Zone, was already large enough to engulf the Lookout. Its inhaling forces wrenched at everything not securely fastened down, or too weak to resist its pull. The Lookout itself was also being adversely affected, not just its contents. As the Dead Zone's forces worked upon the celestial structure the Lookout tilted, only its connection to the umbilical kept it from yielding to the Dead Zone. 

"I've been holding back Garlic," Gokou told the demon. "Until now you have not experienced my true power."

"You fool, it doesn't matter what kind of power you have, believe me. Once inside the Dead Zone you and this entire planet will be doomed to an endless void where I am the beginning and the end!"

"It'll never get that far," Gokou pledged pulling his arms to his side.

Gokou's ki was unbearable as he prepared a Kamehameha wave. Piccolo had no other choice now but to retreat. He flew to a safe position behind Gokou, watching through narrowed eyes and with gritted teeth as a sphere of red energy surrounded the Saiyan.

__

Such power! And yet Garlic makes no move to dodge the beam intended for him. Doesn't he sense Gokou's strength?

"Bakaaa! You never learn!" Garlic Jr. said.

"So I'm told," Gokou replied. "**Kamehameha!**"

"The taint has taken its toll on Son Gohan's body. It was too much for him. His heart has stopped." Kami proclaimed grimly.

"Oh, no… no," Krillin groaned.

"**Wait**… Wait… Kami is it just his heart? I mean, is that all that's wrong with him? Yamucha asked the god.

"Yes."

Yamucha, on his knees, leaned over Gohan's body and made a half fist with one hand and placed it over the boy's chest and put his other hand flat down across the clenched hand.

Suddenly, the floor shifted beneath the assemblage of warriors and deities, causing all but Yamucha to momentarily lose their balance.

"Yamucha, what are you doing?" Tenshinhan asked the scarred man.

Yamucha didn't answer him and started pressing down on Gohan's torso. His huge hands seemed to crush the boy's chest, but it was obvious the warrior was careful not to mash down too hard. Yamucha counted out three compressions, paused then repeated the process. "Damnit!" Yamucha cursed.

"What's wrong?" Chou-zu asked.

"He needs someone to breathe for him, too."

"W-What do you w-want us to d-do?" Krillin asked his voice shaking. He was near hysterics by then. And not understanding what Yamucha was doing did nothing to help alleviate his crazed state.

"After I do the chest compressions, pinch his nose and put your mouth over his and breathe into it in one constant exhale."

Krillin knodded then lowered to his knees and joined Yamucha on the floor.

The beam streaked over Garlic's head, startling the demon. The white beam burned its way toward the astral body looming over the Earth, cutting through the dense energy field surrounding it. Garlic turned following the Kamehameha with his eyes which widened when he recognized its true target.

"No… No… **No**!" Garlic Jr. cried.

The beam impacted and caused the exterior of the star to appear to ripple, as if the Kamehameha were a large stone dropped into the surface of a placid lake. Soon, those undulations turned into tidal waves of fire as Gokou's attack completely consumed the star. Garlic screamed again, this time in distress. His giant body shrinking back to its original size, his flesh and dark green skin withering over his bones. Piccolo felt the demon's power diminish and eventually fade away to nothing as Gokou's beam blew the star into nonexistence.

No longer able to resist his own creation, The Dead Zone took a hold of Garlic and yanked the immortal into its boundaries. The void's ebon maw swallowed the demon and his screams, then closed quietly behind him.

Krillin tasted the coppery tang of Gohan's blood as he pressed his mouth against the boy's cracked lips. Expelling his own breath into Gohan's nonfunctioning lungs. The monk brought his head up and watched Yamucha perform his role in whatever it was they were doing. They'd been at it for several minutes and Krillin was losing hope fast. Gohan wasn't responding to their efforts and the boy's ki was still undetectable. 

"Krillin! Again Krillin!" Yamucha ordered.

Krillin leaned down and forced more breath into Gohan.

Gohan coughed into his mouth and Krillin pulled his face away. The boy coughed again and then started gulping in air as fast as his lungs would allow. 

"Gohan… Gohan, here's a senzu!"

Gohan opened his eyes and focused vaguely on the seed the monk held in front of him. The boy's eyes had a dull, vacant look to them as he parted his lips and accepted the offering. Gohan chewed the seed gingerly, almost mechanically, then swallowed it in one gulp. Then the boy's eyes bulged, glittering with awareness and life. The cuts etched into his face sealed themselves; changing form ragged bloody wounds, to fleshy pink scars, then faded away all together. 

Seeing the grinning faces hovering over him, Gohan blushed.

"Uh… Hello?"

"How did you know?" Piccolo asked the Saiyan.

"How did I know what, Piccolo?"

The Namek closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and tried not to blow up at the man standing in front of him. Checking several different words for idiot from coming out of his mouth, Piccolo continued, "How did you know destroying that planet would take away Garlic's power?"

"Oh. Well, I could tell the closer that thing came to the Earth, the stronger Garlic Jr. was getting. So I figured it had to be the source of his power and once it was gone he would go back to being plain old Garlic."

"Clever." Piccolo said after a long pause, unable to curb the skepticism in his voice. Gokou smile crookedly, shrugged and walked to Kami's Temple, leaving Piccolo alone with his doubts.

"What was that strange act you were performing on Gohan, Yamucha?" Tenshinhan asked once Gohan got to his feet.

"Sounds kind of funny when you say it like that, Ten."

"Stop being a smart ass and answer the question."

"Its called CPR. Bulma took a pre med. course in college and learned it. She made me learn it, too."

"I've never heard of that technique. Good thing you knew it though."

Holding his hands up to his face and examining them, Gohan grimaced as he noted his blood-stained knuckles. 

"I still don't know what I'm doing here. What is this place?" Gohan asked those in the crumbling building.

The adults refused to make eye contact with the youth, choosing instead to look everywhere but. None of them were sure they should be the ones to tell Gohan about his possession and what he'd done during that time. They weren't convinced he should be told at all.

"We're on Kami-sama's Lookout," Krillin offered finally.

"You mean we're actually in god's home?" The boy asked glancing around in wonderment. "Is it supposed to be wreaked like this?"

Kami cleared his throat, "Not usually, no."

"You must be Kami-sama. Pleased to meet you, sir." Gohan said mannerly once he noticed the ancient Namek, and bowed.

"Gohan!" Gokou hailed his son as he entered the Temple, Piccolo followed after him.

Gohan ran over to the two men. "Dad! Mr. Piccolo!"

"Wow, you're all better!"

"And you're all dirty!" Gohan remarked seeing the sticky blood blotted all over his father's face. Not connecting the scarlet on his hands with his father's blemishes.

"Gokou, what happened to Garlic Jr.?" Kami asked the Saiyan. 

"He's back where he belongs," Gokou replied with all seriousness.

"So, it's true," Piccolo said tilting his head up and stared into the sky.

"Unfortunately, yes," Kami answered.

"I'm sorry Mr. Piccolo," Gohan said walking over to the Namek. Tears welling up in the boy's eyes as he took Piccolo's hand in his own. 

Piccolo looked down at his pupil and somehow gave Gohan a reassuring smile. For a long time Krillin didn't understand how the Namek managed it. 

"Don't worry about me kid. I know you lost someone on Namek, too."

_Dende!_ Witnessing the Namek-jin home world's death had been so profoundly hurtful to Krillin, that he went numb afterward, and he never really had a chance to ponder all that was lost.

__

Dende is dead.

Consequences clicked through Krillin's mind. Falling like dominoes as one realization lead to another: Piccolo and Kami were the last of their kind. All that was left of a decimated race. Krillin opened his eyes—he hadn't been aware of having closed them—and looked at Gokou. What was his friend thinking? Was he thinking about his own standing as one of the last of his race?

Krillin felt his stomach start to cramp; Kami, he wished there was some battle to fight to stop him from dealing with this. From feeling remorse so deep he almost wished Freezer had punctured his heart.

"Why is Krillin dreaming about it, Kami-sama? Is he psychic or something?"

"That I cannot answer, Yamucha."

"It doesn't matter why he had the vision," Piccolo said stoically looking away from Gohan. 

"What matters is what's going to happen next. We have to talk about King Kold and how we're going to deal with him." Piccolo stated his voice dropping below freezing.

Krillin stopped listening to the conversation after Dende entered his thoughts. It was too much of a struggle to hide his weeping. Instead he kept his head bowed, chewing his lower lip until it bled to stop the sobs swelling his lungs from coming out. And violently swiped at the corners of his eyes to dispose of the tears that got away from him when he thought no one was looking. 

The Sons' departed the Lookout, returning home and see Chi-Chi. Krillin would have gone with them, but Piccolo had left with the father and son. Every time he looked at the Namek now Krillin felt the need to apologize, to beg for the Namek's forgiveness. So he left with Yamucha instead to check up on Bulma and her parents at Capsule Corp. Tenshinhan and Chou-zu chose to stay behind and help Kami and Mr. Popo repair the Lookout.

Like Gohan, neither Bulma nor her folks remembered being under the influence of the Black Water Mist. And the Briefs' didn't believe Yamucha when he told them that they, and everyone else in the world, had been possessed. That is until video from several of Capsule's surveillance cameras showed the Briefs and their employees roaming the halls of Capsule Corp. growling at one another with burning red eyes.

"See, I told you, Bulma!" The scarred warrior gloated once the CEO saw the recording. "Admit I was right!"

"Cold day in hell, pal."

"I don't really think it's hot there, Bulma."

"And how the hell would you know? Have you ever been there? No!"

"Well, I was way closer then you've ever been. Seeing as how I've been dead before!"

"Kami, how many times are you going to bring that up! You seem to think that it's going to automatically win every argument!"

"I do not…!"

As the arguing grew louder and strayed off topic, Krillin left the security room. But he didn't go far. He lived alone and the last thing he wanted to be was completely alone. Krillin decided to tour the extensive grounds surrounding Capsule.

When he moved out of Kamesennin's house Krillin thought he wanted to be by himself. It had been too normal staying there. And despite coming to terms with what he did on Namek, at least a little, Krillin wasn't ready to feel normal. So he left his second master's home and built his own cabin on the outskirts of North Capital City.

As Krillin strolled through Capsule's property, he was again hit with the overwhelming desire to fall asleep. And he knew wasn't due to any kind of hurt or exhaustion this time. It had been a long time since he felt this way, worn down, both mentally and physically. Depression settled over him like an old familiar blanket. He wanted to wrap himself up in it and go away; rather he woke up or not was something he was all too happy to leave to fate. 

_No—not fate—fate is my enemy._

Krillin settled down in the lush green grass next to a lone building disconnected from the main complex of C.C. He knew it to be Bulma's private laboratory. Krillin pressed his back against its pristine white wall, sliding down it until he was sitting with both knees bent almost touching his chest.

_It's quiet here_, Krillin noted as he scanned the ground's layout. Not really surprising he guessed, since this place was pretty far away from where Capsule Corp. did its business. And where the Briefs' family kept quarters.

Krillin watched a mallard coast in from the north and land in a pond off to his left, joining others of its kind. He stared at them, listening to their communal quacks as the half dozen ducks swam over the small body of water, through reeds and pussy willows. Krillin cover his face with his hands then moved them up over the smoothness of his bald cranium. He let the tears come, hot and in streams. He cried until his chest hurt and his eyeballs started to itch and turned red from irritation.

But there was no release. The tears he shed weren't cleansing; they were poisonous. Just as toxic as they would have been if Krillin held them in. And the muscles in his shoulders and neck had tightened with tension that should have eased from his crying.

"Krillin?"

He didn't look up. He'd sensed Yamucha coming moments before, but lacked the resolve to wipe his face clean. Yamucha lowered himself next to Krillin, and the two warriors sat together in silence against the wall.

Yamucha knew when to shut up no matter what Bulma said. Yeah, he admitted to being insensitive sometimes, but he liked to think not when it really counted. It took awhile, but he finally rid himself of his bandit ruthlessness, and learned how to empathize.

Yamucha picked at the blades of grass beside him with his fingers. His left leg stretched straight out, the other bent with his right elbow resting on his knee. He looked out at the same view Krillin had been observing minutes before. Thinking it was pretty, but not as beautiful as his desert.

"Krillin," Yamucha began still looking out at the grounds, "you couldn't have known that was gonna happen."

Yamucha turned and saw that the monk had raised his head and was looking at him sideways, red puffy bags had swelled under his eyes.

"I mean Kaiou shouldn't have made you see something like that without explaining it to you."

Krillin turned his head away abruptly and Yamucha though he heard the smaller man say something under his breath. Yamucha had the feeling he wasn't helping his friend so he decided he'd better change the subject. _Damn, this is harder then I thought. _

"Hey, you wanna go check out my new digs. I had to get a new place after, well, you know, dying." 

_Maybe I do bring that up too much,_ Yamucha thought as he stood up and stretched. 

"Then maybe we can go out… hit some clubs… shamelessly ogle lovely women. What do you say?"

Krillin looked directly at Yamucha.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" He answered with a voice empty of any real conviction.

Krillin followed behind Yamucha willing himself not to think. He made his whole world the sky in front of him. But the knowledge always fought its way to the forefront of his consciousness, demanding its place in his awareness.

"Hey, Krillin! We're coming up on my place now!" Yamucha shouted back at the monk.

They were flying high over a bustling city. Many thousands of small ki's registered to Krillin's senses, and he quickly closed himself off to them. Just more reminders of what he had endangered.

"Where are we?" Krillin asked his companion.

"West Capital City," Yamucha answered looking back at the monk with concern drawn across his scarred face. Krillin had not paid any attention to where Yamucha had lead him.

They came upon a small mountain range composed of two large mounts and a handful of smaller hills, which encircled a large section of the city. A dozen different houses were built along the peak region, every one bigger then Kami House and Krillin's modest cabin put together. Yamucha flew toward one that sat higher then all others on the tallest mountain, and Krillin followed.

They landed on the house's large terrace. The patio itself was constructed of wood and erected up on six steel poles buried in the rocky ground several meters below. While the house proper sat on a manmade shelf blasted and bulldozed into the mountain.

"Watch your feet," Yamucha warned Krillin as he maneuvered past porch furniture to the glass patio door leading into the house. But the floor was sanded and lacquered smooth. Krillin's uncovered feet were safe.

As Yamucha slid the door open a high pitched screech rang out and a tiny, dark flying shape smashed into the fighter's upper body.

"Oh, Yamucha!" Puar whimpered. "Something awful happened while you were away!"

"I know, Puar, I know," Yamucha comforted the shapeshifter gently. Gently scratching between Puar's pointed ears.

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: How can he afford this place?" Yamucha asked coming down the stairs.

Krillin was standing in front of a wall covered with scenic and still life paintings and was studying them before he turned to Yamucha. Yamucha had changed out of his badly tattered street clothes and into another pair of blue jeans and a plain white tee shirt. Only the shoes remained from Yamucha's former ensemble. 

The scarred warrior went over to a fully stocked bar buried in a corner of the spacious living room, Puar was floating happily over his right shoulder. Yamucha knelt behind the bar and nosily rummaged for something then stood up holding a six pack of beer in his right hand.

"How were you able to afford it?" Actually Krillin hadn't been wondering but Yamucha seemed to want to discuss it.

"Baseball contract, my friend, as in multi million dollar contract! You want a beer?"

Shaking his head, Krillin turned back to the paintings.

"I don't drink," he said and then more softly. "My father drank."

Yamucha, who had been in the process of pulling off a can from one of the plastic rings, stopped in mid action and eyed the monk. For as long as he'd known Krillin Yamucha couldn't remember ever having heard anything about Krillin's life prior to his training under Master Roshi. And certainly didn't recall any information about the monk's family.

Yamucha opened his mouth to advance the unexpected and interesting path the conversation had taken, but before he could, Yamucha sensed the approach of unfamiliar ki's.

"Krillin do you feel that? We got company."

Krillin nodded minutely with his back still to Yamucha, seemingly unconcerned.

Yamucha hurried over to the patio door and watched through the glass as two people ablaze in ki auras sped toward his house. He didn't sense any malice in their ki's, but that wasn't what'd concerned Yamucha in the first place. What bothered him was that he thought he knew every warrior and fighter that possessed high ki, yet these powers were totally foreign. And they were very powerful, at least by normal standards.

The strangers halted in mid air, and hovered several hundred feet above the mountain, looking down at each house on the mountain. Yamucha knew they were scanning for a particular ki or ki's. Then Krillin suddenly elevated his power level and the strangers immediately locked in on the house.

"Krillin?"

Seconds later a girl and a very young boy touched down on the patio. 

The girl stood a head shorter then Yamucha. She had long straight black hair and reminded Yamucha of Chi-Chi in a lot of ways. Except the girl's features were not as delicate as Son's wife's. A highly developed muscle tone had squared off any softness to the girl's face. If not for her small pointed nose and full pink lips, the girl might have appeared boyish. But as it was she was pretty, regardless of the hard edges of her face. She wore a black gi trimmed in white; similar in style to the outfit Kamesennin wore, except black boots adorned her feet instead of the simple slippers Roshi wore.

The boy came up to Yamucha's mid section, about as tall as Krillin. He had black hair also, cut evenly short. His face was soft with youth, yet Yamucha could tell by the boy's dark eyes, that the kid was older then his years. The boy's expression was still and studied, offering nothing in the way of what he was thinking or feeling. And like his companion, the boy wore a black and white trimmed gi with boots.

"May I help you?" Yamucha asked the pair carefully.

"Sure can pops," the girl said.

_Pops?_

"It's okay Yamucha," Krillin said walking up to the glass door, smiling for the first time that day.

The monk stepped out onto the patio and the two youths bowed to the small man.

"Kyichi, Poi, this is Yamucha.

"Yamucha, this is Poi Inakoya," Krillin said pointing to the girl. She raised her right hand and waved a two-fingered salute from her temple.

"And this is Kyichi," Krillin continued, pointing to the boy. The boy, Kyichi, bowed.

"They're my students."

He was battered and broken. The sun still shone and the pitiful creatures that inhabited this worthless planet were free of the Mist. He could hear them chirping and squeaking. 

Lord Garlic Jr. had not succeeded… _No, it is I who has failed, not milord. I have allowed this defeat to occur._

The human, the scarred one, had blown him from the celestial palace believing him dead after a direct blast of ki. But he had only feinted under the attack, and fell unconscious to the Earth below. He wasn't under the delusion that he'd been strong enough to survive such a great decent. Even as he lay shattered and helpless, he knew his lord had sensed his survival and sent him the dark energies from the Makyou-sei. He felt that energy surging through him, healing him however slowly. 

Oh, how unworthy he was to have received this gift of redemption! How unfit! The Earthlings were stronger, and not the easy prey Garlic Jr. proclaimed them to be.

They were superior.

__

I, who was favored above all others in the Prime Realm to be the right hand of the prince, was swatted away like a mere nuisance!

And his senses did not lie. To add insult to most heinous injury, his conqueror was not even the strongest of those who railed against his lord. _I fell before an inferior warrior._

__

I am inferior to an inferior!

He wailed. He howled until his lungs deflated, until his bellow was no more then a dry, grainy exhalation.

_I swear you will be avenged, milord. I will revenge myself on those that dared resist you, and took this world from the perfect darkness you offered! They may believe themselves beyond my grasp, but they are not. They will soon learn that there are ancient forces that even our vaunted race feared for they were too dark. I will embrace this power and wield it against your enemies until they all lay dead at my feet! _

And then their world will suffer for their rebellion!


	5. The Kill: Empty Shell

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dragonball-Z, not really sure who does either. It'd be a shame if people I don't know sued me. J v

THE KILL: Empty Shell

Poi strutted inside like she owned the place, followed by Kyichi who walked in stiffly as if he expected something to attack him once he passed through the patio doors. 

After appraising Yamucha's living room, Poi whistled. "There's nothing like living in a monastery to make you really appreciate the fancier things in life."

Yamucha turned to Krillin and said, "Did she say monastery?"

"Yep that's what I said, pops," Poi answered as she plopped onto one of the black leather sofas in front of the TV. Then put her feet up on the coffee table, crossing one ankle over the other.

_Make yourself at home._ Yamucha thought acerbically at the girl but said, "Will you stop calling me that."

"Would it be really cliché if I went ahead and said whatever you say pops?"

"Poi, behave," Krillin told the girl in an admonishing tone, but Yamucha could see the monk was barely suppressing a smile.

"Yes, my master," Poi replied with a kinky grin. "Hey, where's the remote for the big screen?"

Yamucha ignored the girl's question and turned back to Krillin again. But the bald man was watching Kyichi, his brow furrowed. The boy hadn't ventured very far into the house. He stood ramrod straight near the patio door, his gaze following Puar as the shape shifter fluttered around him. The severity of Kyichi's expression worried Yamucha that the boy might strike out at his closest companion. 

Kyichi, however, remained utterly still, and kept his arms clasped behind his back.

__

Man, who are these kids? I wonder if they're related—sister and brother maybe? Not that they act anything alike. Huh! But then I don't act much like my brother either.

"Kyichi, I see you guys learned how to fly."

"Yes, Sensei," the boy answered, his voice was toneless. Almost bored.

"Oh, and thanks for leaving us on that schizophrenic island by the way. It was so fun!" Poi chimed in from the sofa, the sarcasm in her voice was clear.

"Uh, Krillin, you got something you wanna tell me?"

Krillin took his gaze from Kyichi and looked up at Yamucha.

"Hey… pop… uh, Yamucha? Don't I know you from somewhere?" Poi interrupted again.

"He is one of the warriors that fought along side Sensei against the aliens that attacked Earth over a year ago. He also plays for a major league baseball team… I don't recall the name of the team though," Kyichi answered without taking his eyes from Puar.

"Oh, yeah, I remember now," Poi looked the ex-bandit over, a sly grin spreading over her face. "You have a nice ass."

Krillin moaned covering his eyes with his right hand, shaking his head.

Yamucha felt himself blush from head to toe.

"Well, it's true! Something about those tight, high water baseball pants. Mmm!"

"Okay, that's it! Krillin, you're going to tell me everything!" Yamucha exclaimed his face was burning up from embarrassment, literally steaming.

"Maybe later. Poi, Kyichi, let's go."

The girl had found the remote moments earlier and already clicked on the TV. She barely turned her gaze from the screen and grunted, "Hmm, not now. Dr. Slump."

"Yes, now. Let's see what you two have learned."

"Sorry, I already had my work out today."

"Care to elaborate?"

Poi kept staring at the big screen, "Kyichi went nuts and almost killed me."

Krillin turned to the boy, "Kyichi are you all right?"

"Hello? I'm the one who got attacked!"

"I'm fine, Sensei,"

Puar landed on Kyichi's right shoulder and curled her tail around his neck, nuzzling against the boy's cheek. Kyichi stared at Puar sideways and had yet to soften his expression. Yamucha was starting to believe it was the natural state of the kid's face.

"Yeah, I'm fine too," Poi sulked from the couch.

"Good. Then let's go to Kame House so you can show me what you got."

"No way, I refuse! That old hentai keeps feeling me up! I categorically refuse!"

"Well, you're a little stronger then him now, just hit him a couple of times and he'll leave you alone," Krillin suggested to the girl.

Poi finally turned her head away from the TV.

"Really? I'm stronger then Master Roshi?" She asked.

"Yes. You and Kyichi are stronger then Kamesennin. Right, you two's next lesson is going to be on sensing ki levels. Let's go."

Poi nodded soberly and flicked off the TV with the remote as she got up from the sofa, tossing the remote onto the cushion she vacated. Then Krillin, Poi, and Kyichi walked to the patio door in a single file. Puar vacated Kyichi's shoulder as the boy went through it, and floated over onto Yamucha's shoulder.

The youths took to the air the moment they were outside. Krillin had stepped aside and let his students pass by him then turned back to the thresh hold, looking at Yamucha. The monk was smiling broadly. "Yamucha, nobody said so before, but thanks for saving Gohan. No one else could have. Goodbye."

Yamucha knodded absently as he scratched Puar between her ears, her appreciative purrs relaxing him. He really wanted to talk about Krillin's students, but he knew the other man wasn't going to tell him what he wanted to know. When did Krillin become so secretive?

Krillin lifted into the air and started to follow his students.

"Krillin!" Yamucha called out before the monk moved too far away.

Krillin halted and turned in mid-air and looked down at the former bandit.

"Don't get too caught up in training your students. It's our turn in the Room of Spirit and Time in three days."

Krillin stared at the other man blankly. "Remember? King Kold will be here in less then five days and we all said we'd train in the Room before he gets here: Piccolo and Gokou first, Ten and Chou-zu next, then you and me."

Krillin continued to stare at Yamucha expressionless, then a sad smile touched his lips. "Sure Yamucha, I remember. Three days, see you then," Krillin launched forward and quickly caught up with Poi and Kyichi.

Krillin backed away from Kyichi, his arms held out in front of him defensively. Poi lurked somewhere behind him, but for the moment, the boy was the more immediate threat.

A wave of sand exploded out behind Kyichi as he shot forth. Krillin held his ground waiting until Kyichi was nearly on top of him. When the boy came within an arms-length Krillin swung his left hand down at the ground, throwing ki off his fingertips, which sent up an eight-foot wall of sand between Kyichi and himself. Krillin performed a forward tuck flip over the grainy barrier and landed with his back to Kyichi, then he lowered, pivoted on his left foot, and aimed a leg sweep at the boy's shin. Kyichi dodged the tripping maneuver, leaping six feet into the air, his legs spread eagle and completely parallel to the ground.

Poi came in underneath Kyichi, her arms bent and her fists tucked in tight at her sides. She wasn't flying; she'd jumped from her position with enough force that she was propelling herself over the beach with great speed. Still in a crouch, Krillin did some jumping of his own and let Poi sail beneath him, avoiding her over extended punch.

"Shit!" Poi yelled.

Krillin brought his feet down onto Poi's back and stomped her stomach first into the ground.

Kyichi was on him again, allowing Krillin no breathing room. The monk stepped off of Poi's back and kicked her away. The young woman cursed again as she went hurdling into the ocean.

Kyichi threw punches at Krillin; his form was perfect. He alternated between closed fists, half fists, and flat-handed chops, which made whipping sounds as they sliced through the air. Krillin blocked them all. He could have avoided the attacks, but the boy wouldn't have learned anything from that. As expected, Kyichi changed tactics once he realized he wasn't getting anywhere with simple fisticuffs. Instead of letting his punches get blocked or redirected, Kyichi started attacking the blocks themselves. His strikes became more intricate, and he utilized pressure point techniques Krillin taught him months ago. The knuckles and the edges of Kyichi's fists and hands pounded against specific nerves in Krillin's arms, striving to inflict as much pain as he could.

The expression on his youthful face was determined and yet somehow passionless.

Krillin winced with every blow. He was keeping his ki low, effectively reducing his power level to a fraction of his true strength. So the precise hits hurt more then they would have ordinarily. Kyichi, sensing that his attacks were having some affect on his sensei, pressed forward and added a series of kicks to his assault. Mostly using his kicks as distractions to pave the way for better hits with his hands. 

Then Krillin and Kyichi stopped. Both turned to the ocean just in time to witness Poi explode out of the water and shoot into the air. Krillin sensed a huge build up of ki in the girl and watched in amazement as she pulled her hands to her side, water cascading from her black gi and her long ebony hair. 

"Son of a bitch!" She screamed her hands starting to glow faintly. The expression on her face was one of absolute rage.

"She's going to do it again," Kyichi said. His usually flat monotone voice held just the slightest hint of interest.

Krillin continued to gape up at the young woman, dumbfounded. Her power was sky rocketing as she readied an energy wave. _Impossible! It took me three years to learn Kamehameha! Poi couldn't have in just eleven months! _

Krillin turned to Kyichi.

"When?"

"On the island. She said she used it against me when I was trying to kill her," Kyichi replied.

"Can you--?"

"No."

Poi screamed again and unleashed the energy from her hands at Krillin and Kyichi._ She's going to blow up half the island with that beam!_ Krillin thought as he too began to power up. 

The monk yelled at Kyichi to move away.

Krillin raised his arms up and caught the beam in the palm of his hands then fired off a burst of ki, pushing Poi's energy wave back. The two beams exploded, the epicenter emitting a bright flash as ki dispersed in every direction above Krillin and Kyichi's heads.

When the brightness was gone, Krillin narrowed his eyes angrily up at Poi. 

The young woman was slowly drifting from over the water, her back hunched forward, and her chest heaving. She made it as far as the shore then she couldn't hold her place in the sky anymore. The moment her booted feet touched the ground she collapsed. 

Poi fell asleep where she lay. Krillin sensed her ki decrease, his expression softening as his anger at her carelessness evaporated. 

"What are you three doing out here!" Kamesennin shouted at the trio leaning out of his upstairs bedroom window. "I'm trying get some important reading done!"

"Sorry, Master Roshi," Krillin apologized to the old martial arts master.

"You can show you're sorry by not making so much noise, I was just going over an important document that needs to be thoroughly examined!"

"What did you think you were doing?" Krillin asked the young woman across form him. Sensei and student occupied the kitchen in Kame House, sitting on opposite ends of the dinner table. Poi was seated backwards in one of four wooden dinner chairs around the table, her arms wrapped around its backrest facing Krillin who sat properly in his dinner chair, her elbows resting on the tabletop. Krillin was fully expecting a flippant remark from the girl and wasn't disappointed.

Poi rolled her eyes, "Way to go Poi, you learned your very first ki attack, I'm proud of you! What an excellent student you are!"

Krillin closed his eyes and moved his hands to either side of his head, firmly massaging his throbbing temples with his fingertips in slow, circular motions. "You're missing the whole point, Poi…"

Poi snorted. "Point Poi!"

Krillin ignored her, "You can't go around shooting ki blasts without learning control, both mentally and physically. Otherwise, you'll end up destroying yourself or someone else."

"I hate losing all right? Fucking hate it!"

"Well, get use to it. You're not at Orinji anymore and you aren't the strongest fighter there is. Believe me."

"Whatever," Poi blew air from her lips and rolled her eyes again. Krillin felt like strangling her, and decided to leave the kitchen before he did. Standing up from the table, Krillin walked out of the room taking long calming breaths.

Master Roshi was watching television when Krillin entered the darkened living room. The old master lounged in his easy chair, his red rimmed, tinted spectacles reflecting the images on the TV. The small screen cast a powdery blue pallor on his gray mustachioed face.

"She needs a thrashing," Master Roshi said out of nowhere.

Krillin stared at his former master in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Poi. She's too cocky, she won't learn anything from you if she thinks she already knows everything." Roshi stated without taking his gaze away from the TV. "She needs her ass kicked."

Krillin was appalled. Surely, Master Roshi wasn't telling him to beat his own student?

"I can't do that!"

"You're going to have to."

"But Master Roshi, you never beat up on me and Gokou when you trained us!"

"You two respected me and what I had to teach you."

"Poi respects…" Krillin started but stopped mid-sentence when Master Roshi looked at him. Krillin saw the old man's left eyebrow arch above his glasses.

"Me," Krillin finished, suddenly finding his new boots very interesting.

Krillin made dinner for the four of them; the meal consisted of broiled fish, steamed vegetables, and rice. Poi ate enthusiastically, replenishing the energy she lost after their short training session. She dominated all conversation during the meal and occasionally shouted at Kamesennin when he played footsie with her under the table. 

Kyichi sat quietly, eating the food on his plate with mechanical efficiency. 

Roshi invited Krillin, Poi, and Kyichi to stay the night before he sauntered off to bed. Grinning lecherously at Poi he said, "You can have the room next to mine."

"I rather sleep in the Zenmaizobrei Mountains, old man. Naked."

"Oh, really?" Kamesennin said perking up at the mention of Poi's nudity.

"Thanks, Master Roshi, I think we will spend the night," Krillin interjected, accepting his one time master's offer before Poi could retort.

"I'm not tired," Kyichi said and left the house, stepping out into the night.

"Me neither. I think I'll wait until He's gone to sleep," Poi pointed at Roshi and then followed Kyichi outside.

The old master chuckled, "Good night Krillin. Nice having you back for a visit." Kamesennin ascended to the top of the stairs and after a few moments Krillin heard a door close.

The sun had gone down hours earlier and darkness fell hard around the island. The two pupils had used ki-dried driftwood to build a fire on the beach. The snap and crackling of the pyre could faintly be heard over the soft crashing of the ocean as its waves washed over the shore.

Kyichi and Poi sat on opposite sides of the fire. Kyichi had his back to the water staring into the flames; an eerie red glow burned in his dark eyes and turned his skin orange. His legs were folded lotus style; his right forearm was resting on his leg, while he stoked the fire with a thin tree branch in his left hand. 

Poi's side was to the campfire. Her arms were behind her, supporting her upper body as she leaned back. Her legs out-stretched, one ankle crossed over the other. 

She was also gazing into the fire.

"Hey, guys," Krillin greeted, joining them. Kyichi gave the barest of nods without looking away from the blaze.

"Hey, Brother," Poi returned with a lazy smile. Krillin frowned at the young woman.

"Krillin or Kuririn will be fine, Poi."

"Whoa, sorry! The other monks always wanted me to refer to them as Brother."

"Like I said before Poi, you're not at the monastery anymore."

"Yeah, yeah. So… tell me about all these people that are supposedly stronger then I am."

"Why?"

"Because I like hearing fairy tales," Poi grinned.

Krillin returned a smirk, a teasing glint in his eyes, "Every single fighter stronger then you, huh? Gee, I think it's getting a little late to mention them all." 

"Tee-Hee."

"Tell us about Gokou," Kyichi spoke up. Krillin turned to Kyichi, mildly surprised, and saw that the boy was still staring at the campfire, his perpetually stoic expression unchanged. Like he hadn't spoken at all.

"Well, Gokou is my best friend. We trained under Kamesennin together for six years."

"Is he as strong as you?" Poi asked.

Krillin laughed lightly, "Way stronger then me. You could put ten of me together and still not come close to his power. Gokou's the strongest fighter in the world."

"But he wasn't always, was he? I mean, you had to have been equal once?" Kyichi asked, further surprising Krillin because this was the most conversation the boy had ever participated in outside their teacher-student discussions.

"That's true. Back when we first met I was stronger then Gokou. And for a long time we were near equals."

"If you were always close to that guy's…"

"Gokou."

"Yeah, Gokou's level, what happened?" Poi asked.

"Well, after I was wished back to life--"

"Wished back to life!" Poi exclaimed.

"It's a long story. After I was wished back to life, I realized that being a great warrior wasn't what I really wanted out of life. There's nothing to show for it. You spend your whole life perfecting your mind and body, but in the end, if you're lucky, you just end up growing old and weaker. Sure it might take longer then with untrained people, but time catches up. Like Kamesennin, he worked his whole life to become the greatest martial artist in the world, the Unrivaled Master, and for awhile he was."

Krillin paused, reached out with his right hand and waved it palm down over the fire. He felt the heat even through the unconscious layer of ki surrounding his body, and tough calluses. He pulled his hand back and continued.

"But then other fighters started surpassing him, especially Gokou, and Master Roshi retired to Kame House with that impressive collection of his. And that's all he has to claim after a hundred years of fighting. So, anyway, I started slacking off, not training as hard as I should have. Gokou didn't practice as much either after he got married, but he still trained more then I did, and as a Saiyan-jin he just naturally stayed strong--"

"Saiyan-jin?" Kyichi hissed, his eyes blazing in way that had nothing to do with the light from the campfire. His voice noticeably strained. "He's an alien?"

Krillin knodded, and wondered if he heard fury in the boy's voice. Then Kyichi seemed to realize that his detached façade was down and quickly regained control. Saying nothing more, Kyichi went back to stirring the fire.

Both Krillin and Poi studied the boy for a few moments then looked at each other. Poi shrugged. "SO… what do you want out of life if fighting isn't the end all be all anymore?"

"A family. Wife, kids… lots of kids."

"Hm, sounds boring," Poi said.

Two days later, Krillin landed on the Lookout just before Tenshinhan and Chou-zu were due to emerge from the Room of Spirit and Time. He wore a new orange and blue gi, and this time he remembered to put on his boots. A navy blue duffel bag was slung over his right shoulder; the satchel contained supplies he wanted to take into the Room of Spirit and Time with him. 

All traces of Garlic Junior's attack were gone. The main temple and its smaller counterparts had been rebuilt. New ground tiles replaced those damaged in the fight, and the landscape had been refurbished with healthy plants' and trees. 

Yamucha was already on the celestial temple talking with Gokou and Piccolo; all three warriors were dressed in their gi.

"Wow! Piccolo, Gokou, you guys have gotten incredibly powerful! I felt it ten minutes before I got here!"

"Yo, Krillin! What's this about you having students?" Gokou asked the monk, ignoring Krillin's compliment.

"Was it supposed to be a secret?" Yamucha asked defensively when Krillin turned a "big mouth" look his way.

"No, I guess not."

"I'd like to meet them. Yamucha says they're very interesting."

"I bet he did," Krillin said dryly, still scowling at a grinning Yamucha.

"So, what were you guys talking about before?" Krillin asked steering the topic of conversation away from his pupils.

"Gohan," Gokou replied looking and sounding somewhat confused.

"Yes. He jumped in power overnight it seems, after the Mist infected him," Piccolo added, his arms folded over his chest.

"No kidding?"

"Nothing that kid does surprises me!" Yamucha said rubbing the left side of his face.

"Where's Kami-sama?" Krillin asked noticing the god's absence.

"Oh, yeah, Kami wanted to talk with you before you and Yamucha go into the Room. He's waiting in the Temple," Gokou informed the monk.

"Oh… Okay."

Krillin really didn't want to speak with Kami, but left the three warriors and went inside the newly mended Temple regardless.

Kami was indeed waiting for him. 

The God of Earth was sitting on his throne, a simple ivory dais far less dramatic then the black twisted affair Garlic had fabricated for himself. Kami's wooden walking staff was leaning against the throne's armrest. The aged Namek's all-knowing gaze was steady as the monk took his time ambling up to the god. 

"Hello, Kami-sama."

"Krillin."

A solid obstruction formed over the entranceway of the temple.

The god and the mortal stared at each other speechless.

"This training is useless," Kami said finally.

"I know," Krillin replied. 

"Then why are you going into the Room?"

Krillin turned his head slightly away. 

"This will be the last time… I'll ever be by their sides," Krillin said with a thin voice. His throat had tightened and he almost couldn't breath.

"King Kold will make planet fall tomorrow, what do you intend to do?"

"You already know what I'm going to do," Krillin said facing the god squarely, his tone verging on the discourteous. "You wouldn't have called me in here otherwise."

Kami stared at Krillin with black judging eyes. Krillin should have felt uneasy under the intensity of the god's glare, but he didn't. 

"Very well. You may leave," Kami decreed and then the barrier over the door vanished.

Yamucha broke left and the tight confined beam burned passed him. The taller man stumbled over his own feet and fell to the ground, barely catching himself on his hands and knees before he hit the ground with his face. Krillin fired another ki blast at his friend. Yamucha grunted as he rolled backwards into a backhand spring. The ki exploding where he once lay an instant later. 

Yamucha leaped into the air, groaning with the effort, but managed to attain some height, then used super speed in short bursts toward Krillin's position. Sweating from every pore and breathing spare, searing air, Krillin brought up his sore arms, his hands were trembling. The high gravity coupled with his weighted boots, rooted his feet in place.

Krillin emitted three more ki blasts and all of them missed. His arms and legs rebelling against every effort at motion, Krillin was unable to track Yamucha's quick moving form well enough to make a hit, or even a near hit. And just when he was about to try with another, Yamucha phased out of sight. Then a hard arm hooked around Krillin's neck and lifted him off the ground. "That's game," Yamucha declared behind him with labored breath.

The taller man dropped him and they both hit the floor. 

"How the hell… did Gokou and the others… last a year in this place?" Yamucha gasped at the blinding white sky above. Krillin and Yamucha were in their sixth month of training in the Room of Spirit and Time. The high gravity and thin atmosphere inside the Room had yet to become anything less then a struggle. Both could barely function after four hours of continuous training. Not a good sign, the two warriors admitted. Piccolo, Tenshinhan, and Chou-zu had adapted to the extreme environment after just three months in the Room of Spirit and Time. Gokou adjusted instantly due in part to his week of training in one hundred times Earth's gravity and his previous stint in the Room.

"They're aliens?" Krillin offered from beside the other man, shrugging even though he knew his companion couldn't see the gesture from where he lay

"That explains Piccolo and Gokou, but Ten and Chou-zu made it a whole year here, too."

"You ready to leave?"

"Of course not," Yamucha exclaimed indignantly. Yamucha sat up from the tugging ground with a grunt, "but I'm starting think we're a couple of pansies."

"So when are we going to start working on you?" Yamucha asked after both men dragged themselves off the ground and onto the portal station where the gravity was normal.

Krillin made his way over to the storage alcove where their food and supplies sat on shelves. He pulled a waxed leather water bag from one of the shelves then turned to Yamucha, holding the bag out to him. Yamucha shook his head, declining Krillin's offer. 

"I mean we've been in here for half a year already, and you haven't focused on building your ki yet, just mine."

"Don't worry about it. I'm getting stronger," Krillin replied uncorking the water bag.

The water was warm and un-satisfying. It was impossible to keep anything cold within the dense atmosphere of the pocket dimension. For the thousandth time since they'd enter the strange space, Krillin wished he had brought a Capsule House in with him. At least they'd have a refrigerator and some other modern necessities. 

Like grape soda.

But all he remembered to bring with him was a razor, toiletries, and several changes of gi and underwear.

After Krillin had his fill of water, he re-corked the water bag and set it back on one of the shelves next to their food stock

"Yeah, but…"

"I call the bath," Krillin said.

"No way! I need it way more. If you had a nose you'd realize."

"Oh, I know. And I don't have to have a nose to either. You stink so bad it's peeling back my skin."

The months passed and Yamucha became stronger. Eventually the scarred warrior was able to withstand the Room's environment indefinitely after extensive training without strain. Krillin still had trouble after more then nine hours of training. When their year was up, Yamucha had doubled his original strength going in. Krillin, on the other hand, barely increased his power by more then a third.

"Damn, I was sort of hoping to I'd be as strong as Piccolo or Tenshinhan by the time we were done," Yamucha said as he and Krillin changed into the extra gi they'd brought with them. The two were about to exit the Room of Spirit and Time. "But I'm glad we're finally getting out of this torture chamber."

Yamucha hated the Room. It was obvious after their second day inside. But Krillin liked the Room of Spirit and Time—it felt right to him. Krillin didn't know why he found the barren, colorless dimension so… reassuring. But he did.

During the nights—Krillin thought of the times Yamucha went to sleep as nighttime because darkness never took the so-called sky over them—Krillin would stare out at the endless whiteout for hours on end. Until his mind became as still as the white void stretching far beyond the invisible horizon. Here in this place he didn't have to think, or feel. He was free of so much pain here. Krillin was rather sorry to be leaving. 

"Yeah, like you ever had a chance of becoming as strong as Piccolo. Ten, maybe, but Piccolo? Come on! Why not hope to surpass Gokou while you're at?" Krillin asked smirking at Yamucha.

"Has anyone ever told you you're one snotty little monk?"

Gokou, Piccolo, Ten and Chou-zu were waiting for the two warriors as they emerged from the Room, so was Kami and Mr. Popo. 

Krillin and Yamucha were still ribbing each other good-naturedly when they pushed through the Room's door.

"I'm glad to see you guys," Krillin said cocking his thumb at Yamucha. "If I had to look at scar-face over here for one more day…"

"Yeah, because watching that big, shiny bald head day in day out was any better, right?" Yamucha retorted. "And I was starting to get a crook in my neck from looking down so much, too."

"Oh, yeah, well--"

Kami broke in before Krillin perpetuate the banter. "If you two are finished, you should know that King Kold is only eight hours away from Earth."

Yamucha apologized sheepishly. Krillin just stared at Kami, and said nothing.

"I hope our training was enough," Chou-zu said.

"It will be." Ten assured.

It was easier stealing away from the Lookout then Krillin thought it would be. Again all the warriors went their separate ways: Yamucha left to catch up with Bulma and her folks, Gokou to spend time with Gohan and Chi-Chi, and Ten and Chou-zu flew off to the mountains. Piccolo gave no indication where he was going.

They'd all reunite when King Kold arrived.

Krillin was last to leave. He bid Mr. Popo farewell and ignored Kami altogether. The year he spent inside the Room of Spirit and Time didn't lessen the animosity he felt toward the god. 

As he dove from the celestial temple, Krillin passed Karin's Tower. He thought about stopping in to say goodbye to the fighting god and Yajirobi. But Krillin decided against it. 

He liked Karin, but hardly knew the kindly feline. And Krillin and Yajirobi weren't exactly close. Besides, other then quick "I'll see you on the battlefield", Krillin hadn't even said goodbye to Gokou, his best friend in the world. 

Krillin situated Poi and Kyichi on Master Roshi's island before he left for training on the Lookout. Poi raised Holy Hell about her protracted stay, using some very colorful language that made even Kamesennin blush. Kyichi predictably showed little difference to being left in the old master's care. 

Krillin also secretly asked his old master to continue Poi and Kyichi's training in case he didn't come back from fighting King Kold.

_In case. I'm becoming quite a good liar, _Krillin thought to himself.

He'd only known the two neophytes for only a short time, less then a year, but Krillin still regretted that he wouldn't get to see them reach their full potential. Poi was already gaining strength in leaps and bounds, and Krillin suspected she had the goods to develop into a great fighter—if she ever learned to reign in her unruliness.

He didn't know about Kyichi. Kyichi possessed the skill that Poi lacked, but he didn't have her power, though that may have been due to his age. Still, Krillin was in complete agreement with Senbai: Kyichi was traveling on a dark road. And that made the boy's future uncertain.

Krillin would like to have said goodbye to them as well.

Krillin reached the location an hour later. An arid desert, miles from any inhabited area, that at first seemed devoid of life. But Yamucha said there was life everywhere in the desert. Teeming with scorpions, snakes, insects, and desert rats. The not so desolate wasteland had a rich and diverse ecosystem.

"Ecosystem? What's that?" Krillin had asked Yamucha in the Room.

"Oh, its, uh…Kinda like how things work together in the natural world, how one thing affects another. Basically, the food chain, but on a larger scale. Something like that. When Bulma explained it to me she used bigger words, I barely understood half of what she said."

Krillin landed on a giant rust colored boulder half buried in the dry, hot ground. Its smooth, windblown surface reflected the heat from the sun, and Krillin could feel it baking the air around him.

At first Krillin remembered just bits and pieces of the whirlwind visions Kaiou had given him on Namek. Those pieces became clearer during his stay in the Room of Spirit and Time. One example was that he knew the exact spot where Kold's ship was going to touch down. 

And this was the place.

Krillin increased his ki and sat on the rock. 

And he waited.

The ship decelerated as it penetrated Earth's atmosphere, friction causing the ship's outer hull to glow like a flaming coal. The saucer shaped craft could be seen for miles around as it made planet fall, yet went largely unnoticed. Except by one lone warrior monk.

Krillin watched the ship descend, silently urging it to hurry up and land already. Krillin sensed King Kold's ship coming long before it reached Earth and he knew his friends had as well. They were probably already on their way.

The craft landed on top of a cluster of tall rock formations, crushing them under its hull. The ground shook hard and thunder resounded through the air. Krillin took off for the craft, once it settled some five hundred meters away from him. 

Landing near the spaceship, Krillin heard the whir of unseen machinery as its engines shut down. Except for thick tendrils of coolant steam wafting up from exhaust ports, nothing happen with the ship for several long minutes. The ship just sat there, and Krillin didn't know what was making his heart beat harder: The fact that he was about to die, or the suspense of Kold taking his sweet time coming out.

But Krillin was not afraid. He'd made up his mind a year ago. And if things turned out the way he hoped, no one else from Earth would be joining him in heaven.

Finally, the airlock on the top of the craft slid open and a throng of soldiers swarmed into view.

Two dozen in all, the troops were dressed in various models of Saiyan-jin battle armor, and equipped with laser weapons strapped to their right forearms. Some also wore round white helmets with scouters built into them. While others went without helmets and just donned individual scouter units.

Krillin soon found himself surrounded when the soldiers touched down. They trained their weapons on him in a loose manner, giving the impression that they didn't consider Krillin a threat. But the soldier's eyes told a whole different story. Krillin saw battle hardened warriors staring back at him. Their sloppiness was an act; they'd shoot him if he blinked wrong.

The huge power Krillin felt inside the ship was on the move. Krillin looked away from the soldiers and up at the airlock. A horned crown emerged first, shortly followed by a purple and pink face, then a huge Saiyan-jin armored torso. Soon King Kold's lower body came into view, his six-foot long pink, ring-lined tail swished back and forth under his black cape. Then two lengthy legs and bootless three toed feet ended the giant's appearance. 

The bare purple skin of the Changeling's arms and legs, exposed by sleeveless upper body armor, and short black trunks, practically glowed in the sun as he landed in the center of his men. And right in front of Krillin.

Neither Kold's stature or uncanny resemblance to Freezer surprised Krillin—he'd noted it in the visions—as he craned his head up and up to look at the Changeling's face. The behemoth's scouterless eyes scanned the rust-gold desert; he wore a mirthless smile. Kold, as far as Krillin could tell, had yet to acknowledge his presence, though they stood less then nine feet apart. 

"Who are you?" Kold asked Krillin without looking at him.

"My name is Krillin," The monk said, "I killed your son."

King Kold looked down at the tiny creature standing before him, his purple face breaking into an even bigger smile. "So, you're **that** Earthling?"

The bald human knodded somberly, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Give me a reading," Kold ordered keeping his eyes on Krillin.

A soldier stepped away from his comrades and pressed a button on his scouter. After a few seconds, two consecutive high-pitched beeps sounded. "90,000ke's, sire." The soldier announced.

"90,000 ki ergs. Now how did someone so weak murder my son?" Kold asked. When Krillin didn't answer, Kold's smile disappeared and was replaced with a more curious expression. "I suppose it doesn't really matter. But tell me, why are you here standing so bravely before me?"

"To beg for your mercy."

"My… mercy?" 

"Mer-cy," Kold repeated, accentuating each syllable. Tasting the noun in his mouth like it was a morsel from some new, exotic meal. 

"I don't ask it for myself," Krillin went on to say, adamant to make his proposal in as calm a voice as he could muster. "I ask mercy for the Earth and its people. I killed Freezer, I should be the only one to suffer."

Kold's smile returned, "And suffer you shall. But why would you feel it necessary to plead for the life of this world?"

The human closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Because…because, you destroyed Namek."

"You heard about that, did you? In fact, you seem to be quite well informed."

"King Kold sir, there are multiple incoming ki's," a soldier announced.

_No, not yet!_

"Friends of yours?" Kold asked Krillin.

"…Yes."

"On your knees."

Krillin quickly obeyed.

"You really care for this world, don't you?" Kold asked the tiny man kneeling before him, his voice dark and suave.

"Y-y-yes," Krillin stammered out his answer.

"And your friends… Do you care for them as well?"

Krillin nodded, he couldn't talk anymore; he didn't trust his voice at all.

Kold loved this. It was rare to find noble creatures like this man who had murdered his son. Of course such peoples rarely made the dangerous and hearty journey into space. And those that did, well, they were culled right away. The universe was too harsh for their kind. It was often Kold's pleasure to prove that fact to them.

This small Earthling before him was weak, not just physically, but in every other way as well. After only speaking to the human for several minutes, Kold knew he could break him. It almost disgusted the Changeling how simple it was going to be. At least Saiyans, Kold had to admit—from what he'd learned from his dearly departed son and observed during the months he spent torturing Vegita—were a challenge to break. Saiyans refused to bend even an inch, even if it meant the destruction of everything they loved.

Pride was all to a Saiyan.

But this Human, and the rest of his kind, possessed no such mettle. Yes, Kold knew how to crush this little man for what he'd done to his child.

"Then I offer you a choice," Kold said. "I will spare this beloved world of yours,"

Krillin raised his head, hope glittering in his dark eyes, just under his tears, "You will?"

"Yes. But it is entirely up to you if I show this leniency."

"I'll do it. I'll do anything!" Krillin said with a husky, eager voice. Krillin looked as though a miracle was about to occur.

"Anything, eh? We'll see."

Kold looked passed the short human and surveyed a nearby bluff where the other Earthlings that had shown up moments ago stood watching their conversation. "I will spare this planet, but I will kill your friends."

"No… Please…"

"I'm afraid your life is too small a pittance and will not satisfy me. Others must be punished as well. If not your race, then your friends."

"Please…"

"It's either your comrades or the planet. Choose."

"What?"

"Choose. Your friends will die with the world anyway. But if you tell me to just kill them and leave Earth alone, I will. Ask me to extinguish them."

"I can't… You can't make me pick like that… I won't!"

"Then Earth dies. Your friends die. And I'll still take you and torture you until I'm sick of hearing your screams. You won't last half as long as Vegita, but it will have to suffice."

"You'll destroy the Earth anyway," Krillin said just above a whisper, his eyes wide with horror. Not because he was being forced to make this sick choice, but because he'd already decided. Like so often of late, Krillin's choices were obvious.

"Most likely, but I can promise that I will allow this world another fifty, maybe, a hundred years," Kold laughed merrily. "Hell, it's even likely I may forget about this mud ball by then.

"What will it be? Which do you choose?"

"Do it," Krillin said in a tiny voice.

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that?"

"Do it," Krillin said again, louder then before.

"Do what?"

Krillin raised his head and through gritted teeth he said, "Kill them."

"Beg me."

…

"Beg me!"

"Please, kill them."

"Done." 

King Kold turned and shouted at the ship, "Bring them out!"

Krillin and Kold watched as two more of Kold's soldiers' rose out of the spaceship. They carried with them a man who was encased in a metal triangular container of some kind from the neck down. It took several seconds before Krillin recognized the man, and that was due largely to the newcomer's distinctive hairstyle.

"Vegita?"

The Saiyan Prince glared back at Krillin as he and the two soldiers set down on the ground. 

Vegita's facial features were angular, to the point of being concave. His black eyes were sunken into their sockets and his high cheekbones jaunted out sharply from his face. His unhealthy, waxen flesh was stretched tightly over them. Only Vegita's eyes seemed alive, ignited with the same fierceness Krillin had always seen in them before. If not for his eyes and faint ki signature, Krillin might have mistaken the Saiyan for a corpse.

Yet another soldier ascended through the airlock, and in his arms he held a very frightened Namek boy. Krillin nearly jumped to his feet upon recognizing the child. "Dende!"

"You know these two?" Kold asked. "Are they also friends of yours?"

Without thinking Krillin knodded.

"Excellent! That's two more added to the list."

"Wait!" Krillin exclaimed the brief moment of happiness he had felt rush through him shattered as the implications of what King Kold said sunk in. But before he could refute, two more soldiers came out of Kold's ship. They shared the burden of carrying a capsule that was five feet in length, and three feet in diameter. The bottom part was white but the top was made of a translucent material.

Krillin's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates when the last two soldiers landed and he saw what inhabited the cylindrical container.

Krillin's vision distorted and the world spun out of control. His body felt light, like he was floating away, the unreality of what he was seeing almost tricked his mind into believing he was dreaming. But the monk wasn't dreaming. 

Krillin clutched and violently shook his head no; trying desperately to deny the truth as the tube's glass-like lid flipped up and the small white and purple figure inside sat up. 

"I don't understand," Krillin said, "I killed him."

"Yes, you did." Kold acknowledged.

"You cannot begin to imagine the sciences I had to employ to yield the results you see before us," Kold went on to say. "Forcing the transformations alone were a massive undertaking. Never mind reattaching the head. But the most difficult part of the procedure was installing the computerized brain."

Freezer, or rather the reanimated corpse of Freezer, swung its legs off the capsule and stepped onto the sandy ground. The cyborg zombie's head was bowed slightly, and its dull white in black eyes stared at nothing. It didn't even spare a glance at the individual responsible for its current state of being.

"I thought it only apropos that my son should in some way, shape or form, participate in the revenge I will have upon you," Kold said to the small man who was still squeezing his head between his hands.

Krillin felt an invisible force grab him and lift him from his knees and into the air. Forcible straightening Krillin's small, compact body so that his arms were glued to his sides. Making Krillin face in the direction where his friends were.

"Now… Krillin is it? I want you to see this. Whilst this empty shell enacts out my vengeance, I will watch you as you watch your friends die one by one."

She watches from a distance, her scanners tuned to their highest resolution. She ignores the players and focuses solely on King Kold's ship. Her mind calculating the amounts of raw materials and technology she'll be able derive from the craft. Unfastening one of the pockets of her jacket she reaches inside and pulls out a paper-thin microchip the size of an average playing card, and wirelessly reconfigures its perimeters to accommodate the ship's mass. Nothing else was her concern.


End file.
